Prayers of the Household. 



FOR MORNING OR EVENING. 






PREPARED BT 

HERVERT B. LANGDON, 

A MEMBER OF THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, 
In Hartford, Conn. 



" JUN t O) 886 



HARTFORD, CONN.: 
Press of The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company. 

1886. 



,U3 



The Library 
OF Cong hess 



WASHINGTON 



Copyright, 1886, 
By HERVERT B. LANGDON. 



PREFACE 



As words best fitted to express our thoughts are riot 
always at immediate command in time of prayer, and as 
our thoughts are too apt to be vague, forms prepare in 
advance and at leisure are sometimes useful, to allay our 
diffidence and avoid prolixity. And the range of such 
forms may be sufficient to embrace proper subjects of 
prayer which otherwise would pass unnoticed. But while 
much of the matter composing this volume is, in a sense, 
original, nothing substantially new is presented or deemed 
desirable, the needs we feel and the praises we attempt 
not differing materially from those which former genera- 
tions have already voiced forth. And many familiar arti- 
cles and collects will be found, in whole or in part, in these 
pages, the language of the Bible and the Book of Common 
Prayer having been largely employed. 

The words and paragraphs in brackets may at any time 
be omitted. 

Where the sign of the Cross appears the Lord's Prayer 
should sometimes be substituted for all that follows; or 
any extempore petition may there be inserted; or a short 
pause may be made for silent prayer by all present. 



INDEX 



I. Glory be to God on high. 
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. 
Our Father who art in heaven. 

II. In the Lord will we trust. 
Almighty and most merciful Father. 
God who knowest us. 

O Lord, the high and mighty Ruler. 
O God, the Creator and Preserver. 

III. Almighty God, before whom angels bow. 
O God, our King, without whom nothing. 
We thank thee, O heavenly Father. 

— For all who are dear to us. 

O God of all pity and consolation. 

IY. O heavenly Father, who art more ready. 
We give thee thanks, generous Lord. 

— Disposer and Patron of all nations, — Christian — polar — 
equatorial — Israel — Mahometan — heathen. 

Y. Lord, our Heavenly Father. 

Lead us, we pray thee, by thy kindly hand. 

Make us ever mindful of Jesus. 

We pray for those who love us — Any who may be slipping 

— weak — ignorant — victims of strong drink — heedless 

crowds. 

YI. O God, the Creator of all things. 
To thy throne of grace. 
And when thou dost call us hence. 



INDEX. 

VII. O Thou that hearest prayer. 
Our temporal interests also. 

O God, who hast power over hearts, — unskilled laborers — 
soldiers — mariners — legislators — planters — merchants 

— students. 

Bless, Lord, we beseech thee. 

VIII. To thee, O Jesus Christ, our Saviour. 
By thee is man made just with God. 
O Shepherd of Israel. 

O holy Saviour. 

And when this mortal. 

IX. O gracious and holy Lord. 

As thou didst in times past inspire. 
O heavenly Dove — holy Comforter. 
Let Immanuel rule. 

X. God be merciful unto us and bless us. 

Litany : — Lord thou hast been our dwelling-place. 

XL The Lord reigneth. 

— Unto thee be our vows and fealty. 

O gracious Father, from whom all mercies — lowly calling 

— roam the seas — delve in mines — leaders of men. 
O Thou who hast given us the banner of the cross. 

XII. Again we come. 

O God, thou art great. 

— We cannot escape thy presence. 
To whom then, omniscient Father. 

XIII. O Lord, our God, whose mercy. 

O Sovereign of our hearts — benevolent labors — discover 
remedies — plead the cause — carry the gospel — weak 
endeavor. 

— To bring great fruits. 



INDEX. 

XIV. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? 

— Thanks for unnumbered gifts. 
[For Morning and Evening.] 

— Send thy messenger to prepare — behold new heavens. 

XV. Thy throne, O God, is forever. 
Litany : — 

We pray thee, Lord. 

O God, our refuge and strength. 

— Grace to make our supplications. 

XVI. O Lord, our heavenly Father. 
O Thou who clothest the lilies. 

— For our friends. 

— For others who are beyond our knowledge. 

— Thine only begotten Son to take our nature. 

XVII. Almighty and everlasting God, in whom. 
And since it has pleased thee. 

— Well knowest the infirmities. 

— Guidance in worldly affairs. 

— For those who are dear. 

— Listen to the prayers of little children. 

XVIII. We thank thee, our heavenly Father — look for righteous- 

ness to come. 
To this end we pray — work together for good. 
For strangers tothy salvation — appetite for strong drink 

— magnify themselves — fondly suppose — enemies. 
O God of all patience and loving-kindness. 

XIX. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name. 
Almighty God — who desirest not the death of any. 
[For Morning and Evening.] 

— Receive the prayers of thy people. 

— Send down upon thy ministers. 
Let the meek inherit the earth. 



INDEX. 

XX. To the throne of the heavenly grace. 

— O Son of God — condescending to redeem. 
Yet, O our Saviour, we crave. 

Oh for the joy of the blessed company. 

XXI. Who is like unto thee, O Lord God? 

— Look with compassion. 

— Placed in our hands the holy book. 

— Thou wilt provide. 
Litany: — O Spirit of holiness. 

XXII. O Lord, our heavenly Father — thou makest to grow - 

givest rain. 
O gracious benefactor, on thee alone. 
— We confess our natural estate. 

— For all who are dear to us. 

— For those who are estranged from thee. 

XXIII. Hear us when we call. 

— Who knowest that we are of the dust. 
— Abhorrest evil — reward for the just. 
— Thanks for the means of grace. 
O Thou who didst once taste death. 

XXI Y. O God — caused all holy scriptures. 
Litany: — Gather us not with sinners. 

XXY. O Lord, open thou our lips. 

— Our transgressions we confess. 

O Thou to whose eye the future is open. 
While in this world let us not be of it. 

XXYI. How shall we present ourselves. 

— We believe that thou art. 
And so we would rejoice. 

— For those who are afraid — or astray. 
[For Morning and Evening.] 



INDEX. 

XXVII. O God, our refuge and strength. 

— Great Captain of our salvation. 

— Help every man in his place — philosophers — hunt- 
ers — those giving instruction — called to preserve 
peace — in crowded marts. 

— Prepare us for a future life of joy. 

XXVIII. Have mercy upon us, O Lord. 

We have sinned — yet thou hast not been wroth. 

— For favor to our native country. 
O Thou who didst leave the glory. 
We trust thee, O Lord, that while. 

XXIX. O Thou who art the high and lofty one. 
Most holy God, who art of purer eyes. 

— Our intercessions — all nations — thy Church — in 
civil authority — neighbors — in trouble. 



XXX. Hearken unto the voice of our cry. 
Pardon, O Lord, all those. 

— Remember in mercy this family. 

— This city in which we dwell. 

— In every land may thy kingdom advance — heathen. 

XXXI. God, who ruiest on high. 

— We likewise pray for those about us. 
Show us thy way, Lord. 

— Cherish infants — keep them through childhood — 
when selecting pursuits — burden of the day — when 
age comes on. 

And when the trumpet. 

XXXII. O Lord, our heavenly Father. 
For all the favors of the past. 
And when the new heavens. 
O Lamb of God. 

XXXIII. Lord, show thy mercy upon us. 
O Son of God, who bringest. 

— Merc}^ upon those who know not. 

O Spirit of truth — good Shepherd shall appear. 



INDEX. 

XXXIY. How blessed, O Lord, is the estate. 
How vast are thy works. 

— Shining multitudes not being enough. 
[For Morning and Evening.] 

— All who are dear to us. 

XXXY. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. 

— Thanks for all thy favor. 

— Children shall be taught of the Lord. 

— Called to any office in thy Church. 

XXXVI. O Lord, our heavenly Father. 

On thee alone, O Fountain of grace. 

Litany : — O Thou who art the great Physician. 

XXXVII. The Lord is a king forever. 

— Deign to direct our doings. 
Grant that by our penitence. 

Almighty God, who hast built thy Church. 

XXXVIII. O Lord God of our fathers. 
Having been instructed. 

We pray thee to subdue within us. 
Litany : — O Thou who hast overcome. 

XXXIX. Give ear, O Lord, to the voice. 

— We confess that we have sinned. 
Enable us somewhat to realize. 
While therefore we have opportunity. 
Like blessings — for our friends. 



XL. O Lord our God, in thee. 

O Father of love, whose eye. 

O Son of God, our Redeemer. 

O Blessed and Eternal Spirit. 

— Thy condescension in revealing thyself. 

— Let us cherish this word of life. 



I. 



Glory be to God on high. 
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. 
Our Father who art in heaven. 



/"^ LORY be to God on high, and on earth peace, good 
^-^ will to men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we wor- 
ship thee; — we give thanks to thee, Lord, heavenly 
King, God the Father Almighty. 

Lord the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; Lamb of 
God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy 
upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, 
receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of 
the Father, grant us thy peace. 

For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord: thou 
only, Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the 
glory of God the Father. 



Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath vis- 
ited and redeemed his people; and hath raised up a mighty 
salvation for us, in the house of his servant David: as he 
spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been 
since the world began; that we should be saved from our 
enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us. 

For the Lord is gracious, — his mercy is everlasting, and 
his truth endureth from generation to generation. 

Thou Lord, hast made us glad through thy works, and 
we will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of thy 
hands. 



Our Father who art in heaven, 

Hallowed be thy name; 

Thy kingdom come ; 

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread; 

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who 

trespass against us; 
And lead us not into temptation; 
But deliver us from evil; 
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 

forever: 

Amen. 



II. 

In the Lord will we trust. 
Almighty and most merciful Father. 
O God who knowest us. 
O Lord, the high and mighty Ruler. 
O God, the Creator and Preserver. 

T~N the Lord will we trust, for he is gracious; slow to 
■— anger and of great mercy. 

If thou wert strict to mark iniquity, Lord, who should 
stand? 

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have 
erred and strayed from thy ways, like lost sheep. We have 
followed too much the devices and desires of our own 
hearts. We have left undone the things we ought to have 
done, and we have done the things we ought not to have 
done, and there is no health in us. But thou, Lord, have 
mercy upon us. Spare thou those who confess their faults. 
Restore thou those who are penitent, according to thy prom- 
ises declared unto mankind in thy blessed Son. And grant, 
heavenly Father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live 
a godly, righteous and sober life, to the glory of thy holy 
name. 

God, who knowest us to be set in the midst of 
such perplexities and dangers, that by reason of the frailty 
of our nature we cannot always fulfill what we essay to do, 
vouchsafe us such strength from heaven as may support us 
in difficulties and carry us through temptations, and make 
us conquerors at last. 

Lord, the high and mighty Ruler of the uni- 
verse, who dost from thy throne control all the powers upon 
earth, we beseech thee with thy favor to behold and bless 
thy servant, the President of the United States, and all 
others in authority; and so replenish them with thy Holy 



Spirit that they may incline to thy will and walk in thy way. 
Endue them plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant them 
grace to execute justice and uphold the right; and after 
this life to attain everlasting joy and felicity. 

God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, 
we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of 
men, — that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways 
known unto them — thy saving health to all nations. More 
especially we pray for all who profess and call themselves 
Christians, — that they may be led in the way of truth, and 
hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and 
in righteousness of life. 

Finally we commend unto thy fatherly goodness 
all those in any way afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, 
or estate, — that it may please thee to comfort and relieve 
them according to their several necessities, giving them 
patience under their sufferings and a happy issue out of all 
their afflictions. 

+ 

These things we ask in the name of one who was 
despised and afflicted, — who lay down in the grave and rose 
again for us, — the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour: 

Amen. 



III. 

Almighty God, before whom angels bow. 

O God, our King, without whom nothing. 

We thank thee, O heavenly Father. 

— For all who are dear to us. 

O God of all pity and consolation. 

A LMIGHTY God, before whom angels bow and arch- 
-^"*~ angels veil their faces, who of thy good will didst 
create us thy children, and by wondrous mercy in Christ 
didst redeem us from sin and death, we worship and adore 
thy glorious majesty, both as our duty and delight; humbly 
beseeching thee to listen to our praises and our prayers, for 
the sake of thy only Son, our Mediator. 

God, our King, without whom nothing is strong, 
nothing is holy, we lament before thee our weakness and 
guilt, — our transgressions in the past, and our frailty at 
present; and pray thee graciously to forgive and strengthen 
us, and lead us henceforth in all holy obedience, for thy 
mercy's sake. 

We thank thee, heavenly Father, for thy blessed 
word, for our liberty in reading it, for the privilege of 
drawing near to thee in prayer, and for the opportunity of 
laboring in thy cause in the world. We thank thee more 
especially that thou hast been pleased to call us to a filial 
knowledge of thyself, and hast caused us to lift up our 
hearts to thine in love and loyalty. Oh that we may be 
bound closer unto thee, day by day. Let none of us fail of 
thy grace, or turn back from our allegiance. Thine let us 
be, now and evermore. 

And hear us, Lord, for all who are dear to us; 
our kindred, companions, and friends. Be thou their God 
and Saviour. Defend them from every ill. Make them to 



know thy favor in this life, and to be numbered with thy 
saints in glory everlasting. 

God of all pity and consolation, we pray thee to 
seek out those who are in danger and need, whether of soul 
or body. Extend to them thine arm of strength, and speak 
the word of peace. Show them that thou art he whom they 
should seek, — that thou art a very present help in time of 
trouble. Be near to the sick, the poor, the aged, and the 
little ones; mercifully regard the tempted, the doubting, the 
desperate, [the friendless, the bereaved;] and minister to 
them as thou only canst do. 

Let thy good Spirit move all men, everywhere, to 
repent. Let righteousness pervade all lands; and let thy 
kingdom come, and thy will be done on earth as it is in 
heaven: all which we ask in the name of thy Son, our 
Saviour, Jesus Christ: 

Amen. 



IV. 

O heavenly Father, who art more ready. 
We give thee thanks, generous Lord. 

— Disposer and Patron of all nations, — Christian — polar — 
equatorial — Israel — Mahometan — heathen. 

r\ HEAVENLY FATHER, who art more ready to give 
^-^ good gifts to them that ask of thee than earthly 
parents are to please their children, we bow before thee in 
our frailties and our needs, and humbly beg thy blessing at 
this time. We especially crave forgiveness of our misdeeds, 
— not only those of whicli our consciences accuse us, but 
also those which in our blindness we have not seen, or in 
our heedlessness have forgotten. Blot them from thy book, 
we pray thee, for Jesus' sake, and remember them jio more 
against us. 

And since thou seest that we have no power to conduct 
ourselves aright without thine aid, be pleased unweariedly 
to guard us, that we fall not by the hand of the destroyer 
nor suffer by our own conceit. 

We give thee thanks, generous Lord, for the many 
temporal benefits thou dost bestow. We praise thee for the 
measure of health and strength vouchsafed us, for the re- 
wards of our labors, for the fruits of the garden and field, 
the friendliness of our companions and acquaintances, and 
the comforts of home. Let our gratitude move us to benevo- 
lence toward those less favored, that thus we may be thy 
messengers of good. 

+ 

Thou who art the Creator of mankind, and the 
Disposer and Patron of all the races and nations thereof, 
whatever climes or countries they inhabit, be pleased, we 
implore thee, to dispense thy gifts according to the varying 
wants of all. 

Instruct those who have had their birth in the midst of 
the knowledge and affluence of Christian lands to seek with 



diligence the one thing needful, without which all other 
possessions are vain. 

There be some dispersed in polar regions, whose constant 
habitation is in ice and snow 7 , where verdure, flowers, and 
fruit are things unknown. Leave them not, gracious Father, 
in cold neglect, but prepare them for another and a better 
country, where they may eat of the tree of life. 

Let the ardent peoples of equatorial realms be zealous 
for the Lord and for the triumph of his cause. 

As for the land which once flowed with milk and honey, 
— from whose shepherd -plains the sweet psalmist of Israel 
sang his lays, — whose hills and vales were threaded by the 
footsteps of the blessed Jesus, — let it be restored in pris- 
tine richness to thy people, chosen of old, and let them be 
gathered from all the nations whither thou hast driven 
them, when they shall acknowledge the true Messiah, the 
Son of David, of whom Moses and the prophets did write. 

Let the barbarisms that burden Mahometan countries, 
and the gross superstitions w r hich cloud the consciences and 
degrade the lives of the heathen, speedily give place to the 
glories of the gospel of truth and peace. 

And to thy most merciful and most worthy name, 
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be worship and 
thanksgiving, world without end: 

Amen. 



V. 



O Lord, our Heavenly Father. 

Lead us, we pray thee, by thy kindly hand. 

Make us ever mindful of Jesus. 

We pray for those who love us — Any who may be slipping 

— weak — ignorant — victims of strong drink — heedless 

crowds. 

/~\ LORD, our heavenly Father, we desire to thank thee 
^-^ for thy love and favor hitherto; — for thy care [dur- 
ing the past night] this day, — and for the hope we have 
that thou wilt not forget us in the future. 

Lead us, we pray thee, by thy kindly hand; sus- 
tain our strength by day and defend our rest at night ; 
make the path of duty plain before us, and help us to pur- 
sue it joyfully. In time of perplexity teach us to look 
upward. When temptations lure us to the right hand or to 
the left, let us not turn aside to meet them. 

Let us be of a quiet spirit, so that the petty vexa- 
tions of life shall not ruffle us. Though trials swarm about 
us, as bees, let us not be fretted by them. If sickness and 
disappointment be our lot, let us not be overwhelmed thereby. 

Make us ever mindful of Jesus, our pattern and 
example; who carried our griefs and bore our sicknesses; 
who, when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he was 
smitten, threatened not, when he was mocked and perse- 
cuted, held his peace. 

But, Lord, if it please thee, grant us freedom from 
such severities. We would be so docile to thy teaching, 
and pliant to thy will, as not to need the chastisement of 
suffering. We believe thou dost not willingly afflict nor 
grieve the children of men. 

[Yet if there be no path, but a thorny one, to the pleasant 
place thou hast prepared for us, we pray that we may 
bravely and patiently endure the temporary and seem- 



ing ill, in hope of more abundant good by-and-by. Let us 
not mar our inheritance by cowardice and failure now.] 



We pray for those who love us, — that thou wilt 
love them, and do for them as we cannot. We pray, too, 
for those who injure us. Let us forgive them as we hope to 
be forgiven. 

We pray for any of thy children who may be slipping 
from the straight and narrow way, — that thou wouldst 
hasten to reclaim and pardon them. 

We pray for those who feel weak and insignificant, 
having no heart for the duties or rewards to which thou 
callest them. Give them some conception of the importance 
of this life aud the grandeur of the next, that they may be 
up and doing. 

We pray for those of ignorant and silly minds, who are 
willing to be led astray, trusting to their own puny strength 
to return to virtue when they shall choose. 

We pray for the many victims of strong drink, and for 
the families they are dragging to ruin. 

We pray for the heedless crowds who care not for 
thee, — who neglect thy house, forget thy sabbaths, profane 
thy holy name, and do despite unto thy grace. Let thy al- 
mighty power go forth to stop the tide that courses down 
to death. Blow loud alarms to men who are deaf to gentle- 
ness. Where love is weak let the terrors of the Lord have 
force, and save their souls before it be too late; that by all 
means righteousness may be victorious, and the kingdom of 
heaven everywhere prevail. 

Be pleased, gracious Father, to hear these our 
humble prayers for Jesus Christ's sake: 

Amen. 



VI. 

God, the Creator of all things. 

To thy throne of grace. 

And when thou dost call us hence. 

f^\ GOD, the Creator of all things, animate and inanimate, 
^^ and the Father of those who with true hearts call upon 
thee, we come into thy presence with thanksgiving and 
praise, desiring that thy holy will may be fulfilled in us. 

To thy throne of grace we bring our burdens and 
pray for strength to bear them. We bring our joys, pray- 
ing that we may so improve them that thou shalt add thereto 
yet more. To thy feet we bring our powers and talents, 
and pray thee to accept our service, and endow us for the 
same, according to thy goodness and our need. 

Absolve us from our sins; 

Make us watchful against temptation; 

Incite us in our duty; 

Inspire us in prayer. 

Encourage us in time of disappointment; 

Subdue our pride in time of triumph. 

Restrain within us the surges of anger; 

Teach us how to speak, and how to keep silence. 

Dispose our minds to concord between ourselves and 
charity toward those around us. 

Make us messengers to any whom thou wouldst com- 
fort or edify. 

In labors of love let us not be wanting; and wherever 
our influence is felt let it be for good. 

And when thou dost call us hence, we pray thee 
bring us to the city of the blest; where the streets are of 
gold, where flows the pure river of the water of life, where 
the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations, and 
where are pleasures for evermore. 



6 



These things we humbly ask, not for our merits or 
worthiness, but only for the sake of him who hath opened 
the kingdom of heaven to all believers, thy Son, our 
Saviour, Jesus Christ: 

Amen. 



VII. 

O Thou that hearest prayer. 
Our temporal interests also. 
O God, who hast power over hearts, — unskilled laborers — 

soldiers — mariners — legislators — planters — merchants 

— students. 
Bless, Lord, we beseech thee. 

f~\ THOU that hearest prayer, unto thee we gladly come. 
^-^ For thou takest pleasure in them that fear thee: thou 
acceptest those that hope in thy mercy. 

Lord, the God of all mercy, who dost pardon 
the sins of the penitent and comfort the contrite when they 
pray, help us honestly to acknowledge our transgressions 
and turn away from them with steadfast purpose of heart, 
that we may obtain of thee perfect remission and forgive- 
ness, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. 

Our temporal interests also we commit to thy gener- 
ous care. If it be thy holy will, preserve our persons from 
accident and sickness, and our possessions from loss. As 
thou hast maintained us in the past, we trust thee for the 
future. Let us evermore have cause to rejoice in thy good- 
ness. 

* 

God, who hast power over the hearts of men as 
the potter hath over his clay — to mold and fashion it accord- 
ing to his will, be pleased to adapt thy dealings to the station 
of every man, and so temper the influences bearing upon 
him, that as his days increase he may be transformed, more 
and more, into the image of the divine. 

[As for the ignorant and wretched, whose negligent and 
unskilled labor earns but poor returns, — these being often 
lost by improvidence or squandered in vice, — wilt thou 
dispose them to seek instruction that they may rise ; and 
heavenly wisdom, that what they lack in this life they may 
obtain in the next. 



Give to soldiers in the service of their country, true 
patriotism, and a willing obedience to the discipline of their 
ranks. Teach them also a moral courage and a spiritual 
warfare against the enemies of their souls. 

Give to mariners, who risk their fortunes on the tem- 
pestuous deep, a reverence for thy name and a love for thy 
word, that when the last storm is over and there is no more 
sea, they may be found alive and safe. 

Bestow high talents and nobility of soul on those who are 
chosen to legislate for their brethren, and cause that they 
who enact the laws of men consider well the laws of God. 

Let those who plant the earth and water it, look to thee 
for the increase. 

The merchants, who buy and sell and get gain, — let 
them not seek their portion in the petty boards of this world, 
but rather in the good things which thou hast prepared above. 

Be pleased especially to favor those who are in pursuit of 
knowledge, — all students of thy word and providence, or 
of the mysteries of thy creation, and let not their search 
be in vain.] 

Bless, Lord, we beseech thee, the rich and the 
poor, — the aged and the young. Let thy grace be upon 
all parents and their children, all pastors and their people, 
all governors and they that are under them. By thy wis- 
dom let princes rule, and kings decree justice. Hasten the 
glad time when Christ shall reign supreme in all lands, and 
in the hearts of all people ; that all thy creatures may glorify 
thee, world without end : 

Amen. 



2* 



VIII. 

To thee, O Jesus Christ, our Saviour. 

By thee is man made just with God. 

O Shepherd of Israel. 

O holy Saviour. 

And when this mortal. 

rpo THEE, Jesus Christ, our Saviour, we kneel in adora- 
J - tion. To thee we lift our hearts in love, and our 
voices in praise. We hail thee as the Lord's Anointed, the 
Prince of Peace, the Son of the Most High God, and the 
express Image of his Person. 

[By thee is man made just with God. Thou didst put 
away thy glories and humble thyself to be born of a virgin. 
Thou tookest upon thyself our nature, and wast tempted and 
tried in all points as we are. yet without sin. By works 
of righteousness thou didst fulfill the law for us. By thy 
bloody sacrifice upon the cross thou didst suffer death in our 
stead, and obtain remission of sins for the penitent. By thy 
glorious resurrection thou didst open a way out of the grave 
for all who are joined to thee by faith. In such goodly 
company we would abide, sharing celestial favors upon 
earth, and assured of victory at last.] 

Shepherd of Israel, that leadest thy people as a 
flock, lead us, we pray thee, in the ways of wisdom, all 
whose ways are pleasantness and whose paths are peace. 
Feed us with the bread of heaven, that our souls may live; 
and give us to drink of the living water, that our spirits 
may be evermore refreshed. Let thy word which is spirit 
and life, dwell in our minds, and let thy voice be music in 
our ears. Call us each by name; command us where thou 
wilt; warn us lest we stumble; restrain us lest we wander 
away. Let us not be deceived by the craft nor crushed by 
the power of the great adversary, who goeth about as a 
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Wean us 
from the world, sanctify us from the flesh, and defend us 



8 



from the devil, — that none of these may have dominion 
over us, but that we may be wholly thine own. 

+ 

holy Saviour, invisible, yet ever near, sleeping 
not, nor disdaining us, —fickle and unworthy though we 
be, — how can we thank thee for thy constant goodness ? 
What words can tell the gratitude we owe ? Yet how fee- 
ble our devotion ! How often we forget ! Alas, that we 
should ever grieve thee by denial or neglect, or dishonor 
thee in word or deed. Quicken us, good Lord. Let us see 
how much thou art to us, and render thee the best return 
of which our poor mortality is capable. 

And when this mortal shall put on immortality, and this 
body of clay be changed to a spiritual body, — when our 
souls shall be made meet for the inheritance of the saints 
in light, then shall we see, eye to eye; then shalt thou see 
thy work of grace complete, — thou shalt see of the travail 
of thy soul, and shalt be satisfied. 

And to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost be glory and 
majesty forever: 

Amen. 



IX. 

O gracious and holy Lord. 
As thou didst in times past inspire. 
O heavenly Dove — holy Comforter. 
Let Immanuel rule. 

/^\ GRACIOUS and holy Lord, who art, and wast, and 
^-^ ever shalt be, humbly and adoringly we address to 
thee our prayer. blessed Spirit, proceeding from the 
Father and the Son, and one with them, we invoke thy 
regenerating and sanctifying influence to correct the sinful 
tendencies of our nature, to cleanse and renew our dis- 
ordered hearts, and prepare us, day by day, for a heavenly 
inheritance. Make us to be born of water and the Spirit, 
that we may enter into the kingdom of God. 

As thou didst, in times past, inspire chosen men 
to write the holy scriptures, that the world might know 
what to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires 
of man, we pray that now thou wouldst divinely illuminate 
our minds, that we may understand the doctrine therein 
taught, and live thereby. 

As of old thou didst move upon the nations, that 
they might hope for and expect a Saviour to be revealed 
from above, so do thou now move upon us, that we may 
truly apprehend the Saviour which has been revealed. 

heavenly Dove, who didst descend upon the 
head of Jesus in baptism, and didst empower him against 
the tempter, and raise him from the dead, grant unto us 
(being joined to him by faith,) like baptism, like victory, 
and like resurrection. 

holy Comforter, abide with us, according to the 
promise of our risen Lord to his followers, and guide us 
into all truth. Reprove the world, according to his word, 
of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Gently open a 
way for thyself into the hearts of men; imbue them with 



9 



thy love, persuade them to repent, and enable them to 
believe; make known to them the joy of salvation. 

+ 

Let Immanuel rale in every land, and the isles of 
the sea obey his voice. 

And wherever the morning light shines or the 
winds of evening blow, there let the Sun of righteousness 
arise with healing in his wings; there let the Breath that 
comes from Heaven inspire the life that Heaven approves. 

And to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the 
only wise God, be honor and glory, forever and ever : 

Amen. 



X. 



God be merciful unto us and bless us. 

Litany : — Lord thou hast been our dwelling-place. 

/~1 OD be merciful unto us and bless us, and show us the 
^-^ light of his countenance. 

That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health 
among all nations. 

let the nations rejoice and be glad, for thou, Lord, shalt 
judge righteously, and all the ends of the world shall obey 
thy voice. 

Let the people praise thee, God; yea. let all the people 
praise thee. 

Then shall the earth bring forth her increase, and God, 
even our own God, shall give us his blessing. 

+ 

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all 
generations. Thou art good to all; thy tender mercies are 
over all thy works. 

Remember not our offences, nor the offences of our fore- 
fathers, neither take thou vengeance of our sins. Spare us, 
good Lord, and be not angry against us. 

From all evil and mischief, from lightning and tempest, 
from plague, pestilence, and famine, good Lord, deliver us. 

From fright and violence, from fire and flood, from 
poison, wreck, and robbery, good Lord, deliver us. 

From loss of mind, from false accusation, from dishonor, 
crime, and prison, good Lord, deliver us. 

We beseech thee to hear us, Lord, that it may please 
thee to preserve us in health and strength, and to give for our 
use the kindly fruits of the earth, that we may enjoy them, 
and be thankful : 

That it may please thee to defend and provide for the 
fatherless children, and widows, and all who are desolate, or 
oppressed : 



10 

That it may please thee to rescue those who are in grievous 
peril, to comfort and help the crippled and infirm, to show 
thy pity upon all prisoners and captives, and to close in peace 
the eyes of those whom thou hast appointed unto death: 

That it may please thee to give us true repentance, — to 
forgive all our sins, negligences, and ignorances, and to 
endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend our 
lives according to thy word. 

Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us. 

Lamb of G-od, who takest away the sins of the world, 
grant us thy peace. 

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, 
have mercy upon us. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love 
of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us 
all, evermore: 

Amen. 



XI. 



The Lord reigneth. 

— Unto to thee be our vows and fealty. 

O gracious Father, from whom all mercies — lowly calling — 

roam the seas — delve in mines — leaders of men. 
Thou who hast given us the banner of the cross. 

npHE Lord reigneth: let the earth rejoice: let the multi- 
-*- tude of the isles be glad thereof. Let the heavens 
declare thy righteousness and all the people witness it. 

God, our King, we adore thee as the Creator of 
life, the Giver of law and the Judge of righteousness. Unto 
thee be our vows and fealty, and unto us be thy grace that 
we may duly keep the same. 

We will have no other gods before thee; nor make to 
ourselves any graven image, to bow unto, or worship. 
Neither let us place our supreme affections on any created 
being or thing, but only on thyself. 

God forbid that we should take thy holy name in vain, 
or in any way blaspheme thy majesty. So-doing be most 
abhorrent to us. 

Holy be thy sabbaths among the days, — holy and unde- 
filed in our meditations, our privileges and pursuits. 

And be it our endeavor to love our fellow creatures as 
ourselves, — to honor them as children of the heavenly 
Father, — to hold them sacred and inviolate in their per- 
sons and their rights. 

To bear false witness be far from us, or to covet or take 
away what lawfully is theirs. 

Lord, have mercy upon us, and write all these thy laws 
in our hearts, we beseech thee. 

+ 

gracious Father, from whom all healing mercies 
proceed, we bow in humility before thee, and beg for others, 
as for ourselves, all needful pardon, reconciliation, strength, 



11 



and enlightenment, through the merits and intercession of 
Jesus Christ our Saviour. 

As he, thy Son, when upon earth, labored with his hands 
in a lowly calling, be thou pleased to remember for good the 
sons of men engaged in like occupations. Remember those 
who by their busy and skillful handiwork, prepare the many 
useful things, both small and great, which our wants require 
or our pleasure seeks. Let not temptation overcome them, 
and let their industry and service be not as unto men, but 
unto thee. 

Let those who roam the mighty seas, battling with the 
winds and waves thereof, put their trust in thee, who alone 
canst preserve them in safety and bring them finally to a 
haven of rest. 

As for those who delve in the darkness of mines, secluded 
from the cheerful sun and the songs of birds, — living apart 
from their brethren, — let them not be hidden from the light 
of thy countenance, nor forgotten when thou makest up thy 
jewels. 

Guide especially all whom thou hast endowed with rank, 
wealth, or intellect, as leaders of men. Let not their aims, 
their wisdom, or their influence be for this world alone, but 
for that which is to come. 

Thou who hast given us the banner of the cross, 
and thyself dost lead the hosts that glory in it, encourage us 
to endure hardness as good soldiers, and zealously obey thy 
commands. And of thy divine power enable us, by the 
sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith, to quench the 
fiery darts of the wicked, to wax valiant in fight, and turn to 
flight the armies of the aliens: that so in due time we may 
enjoy triumphal crowns on high. 

And to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost be endless 
praise : Amen. 



XII. 

Again we come. 

O God, thou art great. 

— We cannot escape thy presence. 

To whom then, omniscient Father. 

A GAIN we come into thy presence, Lord, as it is our 
-£-*- duty and privilege to do, to worship thee for thy 
eternal divinity and true excellence, — to adore thee as the 
highest and noblest of beings, — the author and source of 
all that is most worthy and enduring. 

God, thou art great, yet willing to listen to us 
who are so small; thou art without fault or blemish, yet 
considerate toward us who constantly err and fail. In this 
we recognize thy goodness and find encouragement for our 
obedience. We rejoice that thy banner over us is love; — 
that while thou art just thou canst be merciful. Therefore 
we will dwell before thee without fear. 

We know, Lord, that we cannot escape thy- 
presence if we would. For our ways are open to thy view, 
both when we rest in quiet, and when we rise up; and 
whether we tarry at home or walk abroad. If we ascend 
into the heavens, thou art there. If we lie down in caverns 
and deeps, behold thou art there. Though we fly on the wings 
of the morning to the uttermost parts of the sea, even there 
thy hand doth lead us and thy power uphold us. If we say, 
surely the darkness shall cover us, — even the night shineth 
as day. The darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 

Thou searchest also the mind and the heart. There is 
not a word we speak nor a purpose we devise but thou 
knowest it altogether. 

To whom then, omniscient Father, but unto thee, 
can we look for aid in detecting what there is amiss in our- 
selves, and averting the evils which beset our way? Dis- 



12 



lodge the affections within us that respond to the subtile 
offers of the tempter. And since thy blessed Son was mani- 
fested that he might destroy the works of the devil, and 
make us sons of God and heirs of everlasting life, grant, w r e 
beseech thee, that having this hope in him, we may purify 
ourselves even as he is pure; that when he shall appear 
again, with power and great glory, we may be made like 
unto him, in his eternal and glorious kingdom: — where, 
with thee, Father Almighty, and thee, Holy Ghost, he 
liveth and reigneth, ever one God, world without end : 

Amen. 



XIII. 

O Lord, our God, whose mercy. 

O Sovereign of our hearts — benevolent labors — discover 

remedies — plead the cause — carry the gospel — weak 

endeavor. 
— To bring great fruits. 

/^\ LORD, our God, whose mercy is on them that fear 
^-^ thee and remember thy commandments, we beseech 
thee keep us continually in thy true religion and the faith of 
Jesus Christ our Redeemer, that we, who have no other 
hope, may persevere unto the end and be saved thereby. 

And while we tread the pathway of this early life we 
crave thy constant pardon for our sins, and thy kindly watch 
and care that we pursue our course with fewer faults and 
more fidelity. Let thy blessed word be a lamp to our feet, 
and thy free Spirit uphold and guide us evermore. 

Be pleased also to sustain our mortal bodies in health 
and security, with such comforts, abilities, and possessions 
as may minister to our highest welfare, and make us grate- 
ful and happy in thy generosity. 

+ 

Sovereign of our hearts, who takest pleasure in 
all good works, we implore thee to assign us some share in 
the benevolent labors thou art forwarding in the world; that 
we, with all who are likewise privileged, may do with our 
might what our hands find to do, for the interests of our fel- 
low creatures and the glory of thy name. And whatever 
tasks any undertake, either of necessity or choice, let them 
find a blessing in them. 

In contributing to charities, in visiting prisoners, in attend- 
ing the sick or infirm, in caring for infants — night and day, 
in teaching the rude and unthankful; — in these or other 
services, upon whomsoever laid, let thy presence be with thy 
servants, shedding light and cheer. 



13 

Open the eyes of those who study the human frame to 
know its pains and dangers, and assist their search, in earth 
and air and sea, that they may discover remedies therefor. 

Enlarge the understanding of those who give counsel in 
matters of law, and plead the cause of the innocent. 

Encourage those who sacrifice what they hold dear to 
carry the gospel to the needy, whether in their own or a for- 
eign land, and let them not fail of their reward. 

And wherever and whenever any human soul, clouded 
in darkness, yearns for the light, or accustomed to err, seeks 
the way of truth, or attempts even one righteous or gener- 
ous deed, slight not, Saviour of men, his weak endeavor, 
but let thy holy and faithful Spirit minister his aid: for 
smoking flax thou wilt not quench, nor break the bruised 
reed. 

Thou by whom the worlds were made, and whose 
loving-kindness is equal to thy power, let it delight thee in 
the future, as in the past, to bring great fruits from little 
causes: — from an humble seed a mighty tree, — from a gen- 
tle word the conversion of a life, — from things despised 
and feeble a flood-tide of the nations unto God, and from 
the voice of one crying in the wilderness the knowledge of 
pardon and peace unto all people. And as thy salvation 
speeds from pole to pole and from shore to shore, so let the 
heaven of heavens resound with the song of thy gladness; 
— and let men and angels say, 

Amen. 



3* 



XIV. 

Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? 

— Thanks for unnumbered gifts. 
[For Morning and Evening.] 

— Send thy messenger to prepare — behold new heavens. 

T~ ORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle, — who shall 
-*-^ ascend into thy holy hill? He that hath clean hands 
and a pure heart: — he that walketh uprightly and worketh 
righteousness. 

We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our 
God we will set up our banners. Some trust in chariots, 
and some in horses, — some make to themselves gods of 
silver and gold, but we will remember the name of Jehovah. 

The heavens are thine, — the sun and the stars which thou 
hast ordained. The earth also is thine, — the cattle upon a 
thousand hills, the birds of the air, and the fish of the 
sea. But we, thy children, are thy peculiar care, and we 
would come to praise thee. 

Accept, Lord, our thanks for thy unnumbered 
gifts: — for our being, our reason, and all endowments and 
faculties of mind; for our health, friends, food, and rai- 
ment, and all other possessions and enjoyments. We praise 
thy ever watchful providence which has been over us in the 
past, and which has guarded us [during the hours of the 
night.] this day. We bless thee for thy patience with us, 
notwithstanding our many provocations, and for all the 
directions and comforts of thy Holy Spirit. Above all, we 
adore thy mercy in sending thy only Son to redeem us 
from sin and death, and in giving us the knowledge and 
sense of our duty towards thee. Oh give us grace to show 
our thankfulness in a constant loyalty and sincere obedi- 
ence. Oh give us true repentance and a living faith, to 
make our calling and election sure. 

[For Morning.] W r e beseech thee to continue thy 
favor to us while engaged in the cares and privileges of this 



14 



day. Make us wise in what we choose, — calm when our 
desires fail of accomplishment, and humble if we attain 
success. 

[For Evening.] We beseech thee to continue thy 
gracious protection to us this night. Let us go to our rest 
with trustful minds. Put far from us all alarms and dis- 
tresses, that we may enjoy refreshing sleep. And enable us 
always to live in such a state that we may not be afraid 
when summoned to lie down in the grave; knowing that 
Jesus our Saviour has lain there and risen again, and 
hoping to come in due time into his eternal rest on high. 

Lord Jesus, who at thy first coming didst send 
thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee, grant that 
the embassadors of thy holy gospel in these days may like- 
wise make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the dis- 
obedient to the wisdom of the just, by carrying the glad 
tidings to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of 
death, and by commending thy love to those who know it 
not, so that at thy final coming to judge the world the mul- 
titudes shall gather at thy right hand; and unto thee all 
knees shall bow, and every tongue shall own thy sway as 
Master. Lord, and King. 

Then shall death be swallowed up in victory. Then shall 
we behold the new heavens and the new earth, prepared for 
them that are written in the Lamb's book of life. There 
let our humble names be found, and appoint us to dwell, 
thenceforth, through riches of grace, in mansions of celes- 
tial joy. 

And to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost be praise 
evermore: 

Amen. 



XV. 

Thy throne, O God, is forever. 
Litany : — 

We pray thee, O Lord. 

O God, our refuge and strength. 
— Grace to make our supplications. 

T MHY throne, God, is for ever and ever. Thou hast the 
-^- sceptre of righteousness; thine are the words of eternal 
life. All thy works praise thee, Lord; thy saints shall bless 
thee. Thou wilt fulfill the desire of them that fear thee; 
thou wilt hear their cry and save them. 

Save us, Lord, though we be unworthy. Surely thou 
wilt hearken to our prayer, for our trust is in thee. 

We pray thee, Lord, to grant us the favors of 
thy countenance and the comforts of thy grace in time of 
need. 

We pray thee to open our eyes to our duty, and help 
us to pursue it patiently and find pleasure therein. 

We pray thee to defend us from dangers and adversi- 
ties, and be pleased to keep us and all things belonging to 
us under thy fatherly care and protection. 

We pray thee, good Lord, to show them that are in 
error the light of thy truth, that they may return to the 
right way. 

We pray thee for those who encounter the perils of 
the deep, or of the wilderness, or who are overthrown in 
the market-place. 

We pray thee for those who suffer at the hands of 
treacherous friends, or triumphant enemies, and for all who 
are in necessity and tribulation. 

God, our refuge and strength, grant unto us 
present, we beseech thee, and unto all who are admitted 
into the fellowship of thy holy religion, that we may avoid 
those things that are contrary to our profession, and follow 
such as are agreeable to the same. 



15 

Teach us to be merciful, that we may obtain mercy. 

Let us hunger and thirst after righteousness, that we 
may be filled therewith. 

Make us pure in heart, that we may see God. 

Let all our doings make for peace, that we may be 
called the children of God. 

And since thy word declares that all our works are 
nothing without charity, we pray that thou wilt pour into 
our hearts that most excellent gift, the very bond of peace 
and greatest of the virtues, that our light may so shine be- 
fore men that they may glorify our Father which is in 
heaven. 

+ 

Almighty God, who givest us grace to make our 
supplications unto thee, and dost promise that when two or 
three are gathered together in thy name thou wilt grant 
their requests, fulfill now, we beseech thee, our desires and 
petitions, as may be most expedient for us, granting us in 
this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to 
come life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, 

Amen. 



XVI. 

O Lord, our heavenly Father. 
O Thou who clothest the lilies. 

— For our friends. 

— For others who are beyond our knowledge. 

— Thine only begotten Son to take our nature. 

/^\ LORD, our heavenly Father, we would draw near to 
^-^ worship thee and seek thy benediction. In the midst 
of many mercies, yet sensible of our faults and shortcom- 
ings, we crave thy special care to set us right. Out of our 
needs, Lord, we cry to thee for help, and pray thee to 
instruct our minds and warm our hearts unto edification 
and sanctification. 

If there be within us any plant of truth and virtue, let 
us guard and cherish it, and rejoice therein. Help us to 
uproot, as noxious weeds, any habits or desires of evil, and 
to put them far from us. Reveal to us each what sin most 
besets us, and where our defenses most need strengthening; 
and let thy Spirit work with our spirits, and ours with 
thine, that we may be stablished in the faith, steadfast in 
prayer, and constant in good works. 

thou who clothest the lilies of the field, and 
feedest the ravens when they cry, we look to thee for what 
we need in temporal affairs. 

We pray for daily food, and for the orderly functions 
by which it may be made available to us. We pray for the 
health of the various members and organs of our bodies; 
for these, though parts of ourselves, are but little subject to 
our control. How fearfully and wonderfully are we made ! 
For the sight of the eye, for the hearing of the ear, and for 
the beating of the heart, we are dependent, moment by mo- 
ment, upon thee. Yet since thou lovest us we would not 
have it otherwise. But still we plead, if it can be thy will, 
that we may be preserved in comfort, peace, and pleasure; 



16 



that our days may be bright, our nights secure, and our 
interests prosperous. 

And hear us, good Lord, for our friends and all 
whom we hold dear. May thy rich blessing rest upon them, 
for Jesus' sake. 

4- 

"We supplicate thee also for others whose hopes 
and dangers may be like our own; and others still who are 
beyond our knowledge. Of thy divine compassion give 
bread to the destitute, give the wanderer a home, and hear 
our prayers for those who never pray. If it be possible, 
console the bereaved; if it be possible, reform the drunkard; 
and when thy saving mercies so visit the children of men let 
their hearts be moved to lasting gratitude. 

God, heavenly King, who hast given us thy 
only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him and be born 
of a virgin, grant that we, being regenerate, and made thy 
children by adoption and grace, may walk before thee in 
filial obedience, imitating the worthy example of our elder 
Brother and doing always those things that are right in thy 
sight; until at last, by his atonement and thy good pleasure, 
we become joint heirs with him of estates on high. 

And to the Almighty Father, the Eternal Son, 
and the Blessed Spirit, be equal and endless praises: 

Amen, 



XVII. 

Almighty and everlasting God, in whom. 
And since it has pleased thee. 
— Well knowest the infirmities. 

— Guidance in worldly affairs. 

— For those who are dear. 

— Listen to the prayers of little children. 

A LMIGHTY and everlasting God, in whom we live 
-*— **- and move and have our being, we render thee our 
humble praises for thy preservation of us from the begin- 
ning of our lives until the present time. Thou hast brought 
us in safety through dangers and vicissitudes. When sick 
thou hast restored us; when sleeping thou hast watched 
over us. When our path was clouded thou hast made it 
clear and plain; when we have wandered thou hast kindly 
brought us home. Day by day thou givest us bread; night 
by night we find shelter and rest. 

And since it has pleased thee, heavenly Father, 
to bestow upon us [this new day, ] another day, we would here 
renewedly dedicate both our souls and bodies to thee and 
thy service, in a willing and cheerful obedience, in which 
resolution do thou confirm and strengthen us, that as we 
grow in age we may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of 
our Lord and Saviour. 

But, God, who well knowest the infirmities of 
our nature, we beseech thee to give us the constant influ- 
ence of thy Holy Spirit that we may be purged from sin 
and built up in righteousness. Help us to prepare for that 
great day in which our lives shall be reviewed, and enable 
us so to live that we may render up our final account with 
joy. 

Moreover we implore thy grace and guidance in 
our worldly affairs, Keep us temperate in our meats and 
drinks, and diligent in our several callings. If it please 



17 

thee, grant us success in our undertakings, and a due 
reward for our labor. Grant us comfort within and peace 
without. Ward off pains and disappointments, and let us 
be satisfied in health and prosperity. 

We pray too for those who are dear to us. Thou 
knowest them all, — all their virtues, their failings, and 
their needs. Thou knowest the places of their homes, and 
the longings of their hearts; and we are persuaded that 
they are as dear to thee as to us. Do for them according to 
thy loving-kindness, and let them all reach heaven by-and- 

by. 

+ 

Be pleased, Lord, to listen to the prayers of lit- 
tle children. Bless those who are striving to serve thee, 
even though ignorantly. Strengthen any who are fighting 
in thy cause against odds too great for them. Encourage 
all the soldiers of the cross, wherever stationed; and let thy 
kingdom everywhere prevail. 

And to thy most worthy name be all the glory, 
world without end : 

Amen. 



XVIII. 

We thank thee — look for righteousness to come. 

To this end we pray — work together for good. 

— For strangers to thy salvation — appetite for strong drink — 

magnify themselves — fondly suppose — enemies. 
O God of all patience and loving-kindness. 

\ 1TE thank thee, our heavenly Father, that thou hast 
* ^ been pleased to spare us until this time, and dost 
permit us now to read thy word and kneel before thee in 
circumstances of so much mercy. As each day adds to the 
number of thy gifts, we would that our gratitude should 
daily increase, and become a more and more controlling 
power in our lives. And we would rejoice in thee, not 
alone for thy gifts nor for thy kindly providence, but for 
the revelation of thy love thou dost make in our hearts, and 
for the fellowship and aid of thy good Spirit. As by the 
atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ we beg forgiveness of 
sins that are past, so by the operation of the Holy Ghost we 
look for righteousness to come; that the thoughts of our 
minds and the disposition of our hearts may be conformed 
to thine, and our souls may be restored, in their little meas- 
ure, to the image and likeness of the Almighty Father. 

To this end we pray that all our aims and experi- 
ences may directly or indirectly conduce, what variety or 
contrast soever appears in them. Whether we eat or drink, 
or seek the reasonable gratification of any material sense, — 
whether we toil for daily bread, or profit, or any personal 
advantage, [in our fatigues and recreations, in failure and 
success, in sickness and health,] let it please thee so to 
abide with us that all things shall work together for good 

And, Lord, let not thine ear be weary while we 
plead for those who are strangers to the joy of thy salvation. 
We pray for those who, through folly, cultivate an appe- 
tite for strong drink, or through weakness give way to it, or 
indulge in any dissipation. 



18 

We pray for those who magnify themselves, thinking 
scornfully of duty, and chafing under the restraints of 
home and of law. 

We pray for any who fondly suppose their poverty, or 
the sadness of their lot, or their honesty with men, — that 
any or all of these will make amends for their few failings 
and entitle them to future happiness. 

We pray for thine enemies who strive to refute thy holy 
gospel, — who malign thy saints, and raise impious hands 
against thyself. 

* 

God of all patience and loving-kindness, whose 
mercies are everlasting and whose compassions fail not, let 
it please thee to bear with the waywardness and depravity 
of the fallen children of men, and cease not thy efforts for 
them. As thou hast within thyself a sweet and infinite 
peace that no insults can disturb, be not grieved at the 
hardness of their hearts nor the baseness of their ingrati- 
tude, neither leave them to their own devices, for when thy 
presence is taken away, no hope remains. Let thy persua- 
sions., though long refused, finally prevail; let thine un- 
wearied goodness outlast and overcome the most deter- 
mined despite. 

As, in the fullness of time, the Redeemer's mission, 
being opposed by man, was consummated by means of his 
very wrath against it, do thou, Spirit of holiness, rectify 
his perverse understanding and convince his contrary will, to 
the full acceptance of the same; and thus complete a merci- 
ful conquest, the glory of which the universe shall scarcely 
contain, and the ages of ages cannot diminish. 

And Jto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the 
only wise God, be honor and majesty forever: 

Amen. 



XIX. 

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name. 
Almighty God, — who desirest not the death of any. 
[For Morning and Evening.] 

— Receive the prayers of thy people. 

— Send down upon thy ministers. 
Let the meek inherit the earth. 

/^\ LORD, oar Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the 
^-^ earth. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; 
thy judgments are a mighty deep; thy tender mercies have 
been ever of old. Oh send out thy light and thy truth, and 
let them lead us to thy holy hill. Oh how great is thy 
goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee — 
which thou hast wrought out for them that put their trust 
in thee. 

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who desirest not the death of any, but rather that all 
should turn to thee and live, let us come in humility and 
true repentance that we may obtain the absolution and 
remission of our sins. We beseech thee grant us pardon, 
and thy Holy Spirit, that those things may please thee 
which we do at this present, and that the rest of our days 
may be pure and holy, so that at last we may come to thy 
eternal joy. 

[For Morning.] Lord, our heavenly Father, who 
hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day, be 
pleased to defend us in the same with thy mighty power, 
and grant that we fall into no sin neither suffer any mis- 
chief, but that all our doings may be healthful to ourselves 
and righteous in thy sight, for the love of thy only Son, our 
Saviour. 

[For Evening.] Lord, our heavenly Father, by 
whose protecting might we have been preserved this day, 
of thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers 
of this night, for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour. 



19 



Lord, we beseech thee to receive the prayers of 
thy people who call upon thee, and grant that we may 
clearly perceive what things we ought to do, and also may 
have the will and the power faithfully to fulfil the same. 

+ 

Most gracious God, from whom cometh every good 
and perfect gift, be pleased to send down upon thy ministers, 
ordained to preach thy holy gospel, the continual dew of 
thy blessing. Instruct their minds, that they may instruct 
the people of their charge. Let them be sound in the faith 
and exemplary in life, — men in whom thy Spirit evermore 
shall dwell. Sustain them with a meed of temporal good, 
until, by patient continuance in well doing, they attain at 
last unto glory, honor, and immortality, through Christ the 
Lord of all. 

Let the meek inherit the earth, and delight them- 
selves in the abundance of peace. 

Let brethren dwell together in unity, and war and aggres- 
sion be done away. 

Let all the ends of the earth turn unto the Lord, and all 
the kindreds of the nations worship before thee. 

And to thy holy name be praise and thanksgiving 
forever: 

Amen. 



4* 



XX. 

To the throne of the heavenly grace. 

— O Son of God — condescending to redeem. 

Yet, our Saviour, we crave. 

Oh for the joy of the blessed company. 

nno the throne of the heavenly grace we come, seeking 
-*- the face and favor of the King. In thy presence, 
gracious Lord, we kneel, and pray for thy smile and bene- 
diction, that our hearts may rejoice in thee anew. 

We glorify thy divine compassion, Son of God, 
in condescending to redeem and save a race of sinners. 

Thanks and praise to thee, Son of Man, for thy meri- 
torious atonement between heaven and earth. 

Thou bringest good tidings to the meek, and givest the 
gospel to the poor. 

Thou comest to bind up the broken-hearted, to preach 
deliverance to the captives, and set at liberty them that 
are bruised. 

Thou sufTerest little children to come unto thee, and for- 
biddest none to bring their sorrows and perplexities. 

Thou hast a sympathizing ear for the burdened and 
languishing. 

Thou openest thy mouth in blessing, and extendest thy 
hand to heal. 

Thou makest the lame to walk, and the blind to see, — 
the dumb to speak, and the deaf to hear. 

The sick thou makest whole. 

[ Thou givest thy back to the smiters, and by thy stripes 
we are healed. 

By thy prayers and righteous strife thou dost lead us in 
the true and living way. 

By thy blood and agony, — by thy cross and passion, — 
and by thy resurrection and ascension, thou dost open the 
kingdom of heaven to all believers.] 

Yet, our Saviour, we crave thy constant aid, lest 



20 

notwithstanding the benefits we have received in the past, 
evil fortune and disease again fasten upon us, and we fall 
away. Thou knowest how frail we are, and with what 
temptations we are compassed. Restrain us effectually from 
sin. Encourage and strengthen us in righteousness. Give 
us such lively gratitude as may make us ashamed to offend 
thee. 

Oh let our daily walk and conversation be such, that 
when thou shalt appear, to judge the living and the dead, we 
may find approval in thy sight, and be called to thy right 
hand. 

Oh for the joy of the blessed company who shall 
hear thee say, " Well done." 

Oh for the welcome of the golden city, when the gates 
shall be lifted high, and the King of Glory shall enter in, 
with all the redeemed. 

Oh for the peace and holiness of that celestial strong- 
hold, where there shall be no death, nor sorrow, nor pain, 
and where God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes: 

Amen, and Amen. 



XXI. 

Who is like unto thee, O Lord God? 

— Look with compassion. 

— Placed in our hands the holy book. 

— Thou wilt provide. 

Litany : — O Spirit of holiness. 

"TTTHO is like unto thee, Lord God, that dwellest on 
* * high? Thy glory is above the heavens; thou art 
ruler over all, blessed forever. Yet thou humblest thyself 
to behold the things upon earth. Thou liftest the poor out 
of the dust, and art nigh unto them that call upon thee in 
truth. 

We therefore pray thee, heavenly Father, to look 
with compassion upon our infirmities, and turn from us all 
those evils which we have deserved, for the sake of thy dear 
Son, our Redeemer. And grant that we may put unwaver- 
ing trust in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in pureness 
of living, and worship thee in spirit and in truth. 

We thank thee, Lord, that thou hast placed in 
our hands the holy book containing thy promises to men. 
We thank thee for the written word, betokened by thy bow 
in the clouds, that thou wilt not again curse the ground for 
man's sake; — that while the earth remaineth, seed time and 
harvest, and summer and winter, and day and night shall 
not cease. We believe thy promise, and look to thee for the 
recurring order of the seasons; for storms and cold in their 
time, and also for the pleasant growths of the earth; for the 
blade, the ear, and the full corn; — for the bud, the flower, 
and the fruit in abundance, that we may eat and live, and 
rejoice in thy goodness. 

[And we would not grudge the sparrow, the ox, nor the 
lion their portion, for thou givest them their meat, and thou 
hast made all things as it pleased thee. And since thou 
feedest even them, and dost clothe the grass of the field, and 



21 



array the lilies which continue but for a day, we have the 
more confidence that thou wilt provide for us.] 

We look to thee for raiment, and pray that what thou 
dost furnish we may wear as thy gift; not for pride or osten- 
tation, neither in shame, nor coveting what thou dost with- 
hold ; but let us w T alk gratefully and humbly with thee. 

+ 

Spirit of holiness, we beseech thee to move upon 
the hearts of all people, that they may turn from sin and 
from the love of it, and bring forth fruits meet for repent- 
ance. 

Let the strong do no violence, and the cunning no deceit. 

Let not brother provoke brother to wrath. 

Let children obey their parents in the Lord. 

Let every man speak truth with his neighbor. 

Let him that stole restore that he hath taken, and steal no 
more. 

Let idols be cast down, and false gods no more be 
worshiped. 

Let the greeds of men be rooted out, — their passions 
curbed, — their ambitions sanctified. 

Let the sabbath be kept holy, and every household be 
made a fit tabernacle for thy gracious presence. 

And to thy most hallowed name be all the praise: 

Amen. 



XXII. 

O Lord, our heavenly Father — thou makest to grow — 

givest rain. 
O gracious benefactor, on thee alone. 
— We confess our natural estate. 

— For all who are dear to us. 

— For those who are estranged from thee. 

/~\ LORD, our heavenly Father, we come to render thanks 
^-^ for thy protection hitherto, and pray for thy continued 
care. Thy bountiful hand supplies our needs by day, and 
guards from evils at night. Out of the ground thou makest 
to grow that which is good for food, and by thy providence 
it is gathered and brought to us. We take thereof and. eat, 
and our lives are sustained. Thou givest rain to moisten 
the earth, to fill the springs that we may drink, and to re- 
plenish the streams that we may w r ash and be clean. At 
thy behest the morning [brightly] dawns, awaking us anew 
to the activities of day, and when the night comes on, the 
gentle stars are tokens to us of thy loving eyes that never 
sleep. 

[And when the sun breaks forth with scorching 
heat, or when the rain descends as a flood, or the wind in- 
creases mightily upon us, we know that they are thine, 
obedient to thy control. Yea, though the rocks be rent and 
the earth be shaken, — though the fire consume and the sea 
destroy, yet in thee will we confide, for there is none that 
hath the mastery over them, like thee, and none like thee in 
kind intent toward us.] 

gracious Benefactor, on thee alone do we rely 
for our life and welfare; — for health and comfort, for 
raiment and shelter, and for all the senses and faculties we 
enjoy. What thou hast kindly given, kindly spare. [To 
thee we owe our sight, our hearing, speech, and whatever 
skill or craft our hands have learned. We pray that these 
may not be impaired, and that none of our members or 



22 

attainments maybe lost; or if, in thy wisdom, any part must 
suffer, that thou would st add a recompense unto the rest.] 

And may our experience of thy care in temporal 
things be a lesson to us of thy concern for our souls. We 
confess our natural estate of sin and misery, but humbly 
claim a promised share in thy great salvation. Oh that the 
sincerity of our gratitude might be acceptable unto thee. 
Oh that we might so hunger and thirst after righteousness 
that we shall be rilled. Oh that we might obey thee in all 
things, and so be worthy to appear in thy presence. 

Thus we pray for all who are dear to us. Let 
them partake of thy love, and love thee in return, that they 
too may dwell in the heavenly city. 

+ 

We pray for those who are estranged from thee, 
and all who are in darkness or desolation from whatever 
cause. Hast thou not a blessing for them: and may not the 
light of thy countenance gladden their hearts also? Let all 
be saved, and all unite in the heavenly song to thy supernal 
glory, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, 
world without end: 

Amen. 



XXIII. 

Hear us when we call. 
— Who knowest that we are of the dust. 
— Abhorrest evil, — reward for the just. 
— Thanks for the means of grace. 
O Thou who didst once taste death. 

TTEAR us when we call, God of our righteousness; 
-* — L have mercy upon us, and listen to our prayer. 

heavenly Father, who knowest that we are of 
the dust, and who pitiest our feeble frame, pardon, we be- 
seech thee, the follies and errors of which we have been 
guilty, giving us repentance and newness of life, and help 
in time of need, for Jesus' sake. 

Lord most high, who abhorrest every evil way 
but hast a reward for those that choose the path of the just, 
help us to choose that goodly path, and to walk as children 
of the light, in honesty, temperance, and meekness, during 
the course of our earthly pilgrimage, that at last we may 
reach the city of light where thy glory dwells. 

We render heartfelt thanks for thy holy word by 
which we have an infallible rule of doctrine and duty. We 
render thanks for the blessed sacraments by which we are 
baptized into the name of the eternal God, and made par- 
takers of the divine life mysteriously ministered to us. We 
render thanks for access unto thee by prayer, and for all 
the means of grace. 

Possessing these thy gifts to our souls, being disposed 
to contentment with the measure of temporal blessing thy 
providence bestows, and enjoying the healthful influence of 
thy Holy Spirit, let our progress be sure and constant to- 
ward that perfection which thou hast set before us, and 
which it is our highest privilege to attain. 

In the sacred delight of this heavenly progress and in 
the strength of Him who is mighty to save, enable us to 
resist temptation, to meet with fortitude the pains, rebuffs 



23 

and bereavements of this earthly existence, and even to face 
with composure the last enemy. 

Thou who didst once taste death for every man, 
— who didst enter the grave and return from it, and who 
only knowest the secrets thereof, we humbly beseech thee, 
of thy infinite loving- kindness and tender mercy, to comfort 
and sustain those who are called to die. "When their days 
of life are numbered, — when their powers and possessions 
fall away, — when mortal friends can render no more aid,— 
when tongue and hands refuse to act, and heart and flesh 
fail, then let thy presence supply their every need. Reveal 
thyself as the all-sufficient Saviour. Help thou their unbe- 
lief. Pardon their sins, even to the last. Soothe thou the 
bitterness of dissolution; and when the body of earth re- 
turns to earth as it was, let the spirit return in peace to God 
who gave it. 

And from the multitude of them that are redeemed 
out of every kindred and tribe and nation, and from angels 
and all the heavenly host, be praise and thanksgiving unto 
Him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, forever 
and ever: 

Amen. 



XXIV. 

O God — caused all holy scriptures. 
Litany: — Gather us not with sinners. 

f\ GOD, heavenly King, who hast caused all holy scrip- 
^-^ tures to be written for our learning, grant that we 
may in such wise hear them, read, mark, and inwardly 
digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the 
blessed hope of eternal life, which thou hast given us in our 
Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Gather us not with sinners, and let us not have 
part with them that do wickedly, for we seek thy face, 
Lord, and our hearts incline to thy testimonies. 

From all blindness of heart, from pride, vain-glory, and 
hypocrisy, from envy, hatred, and all uncharitableness, good 
Lord, deliver us. 

From all inordinate and sinful affections, and from all 
the deceits of the world, the flesh and the devil, good Lord, 
deliver us. 

In all the time of our tribulation, in all the time of our 
prosperity, — in the hour of death, and in the day of judg- 
ment, good Lord, deliver us. 

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord, that it may 
please thee to give us hearts to love and fear thy name, and 
diligently to live after thy commandments: 

That it may please thee to illuminate all pastors, dea- 
cons, and other teachers of thy word with a true knowledge 
and understanding thereof ; that both by their speech and 
conduct they may worthily set it forth : 

That it may please thee to bless the households of thy 
charge; — that those whom thou hast joined in the holy 
bond of matrimony may be one in heart, as in name; — that 
parents may rule in wisdom, and children obey in love; — 
that masters be not unkind, nor servants undutiful: 

That it may please thee to enable those who are in the 
heat and rivalry of business [or political] affairs to deal 



24 



justly, to speak truly, and so to use things temporal as not 

to lose the things eternal: 

That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth 

all such as have erred, and are deceived: 

That it may please thee to have mercy upon all men: 
That it may please thee to strengthen such as do stand, — 

to comfort and help the weak-hearted, and to raise up those 

who fall, and finally to beat down Satan under our feet. 

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the 
Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever 
shall be, world without end: 

Amen. 



XXV. 

O Lord, open thou our lips. 

— Our transgressions we confess. 

O Thou to whose eye the future is open. 

While in this world let us not be of it. 

/^\ LORD, open thou our lips and they shall speak forth 
^-< thy praise. Let the words of our mouths and the 
meditations of our hearts be always acceptable in thy sight, 
Lord, our strength and our redeemer. 

That it has been otherwise with us in the past we hum- 
bly acknowledge. Our failures and transgressions we con- 
fess with shame, and beg thee, Father of mercies, for 
Jesus' sake, to give us true repentance, and pardon full and 
free. 

And grant us grace to pray in faith for all things 
needful, as well for the body as the soul, that we may be 
preserved in health and safety, with daily food, and such 
raiment and other gifts as it shall please thy goodness to 
bestow. 

+ 

Thou, to whose eye the future is open, and with 
the course of whose purpose all things agree, we pray thee, 
of thy providence, to prepare us for what thou hast prepared 
for us. Fill us with courage and wisdom for what thou 
wouldst have us accomplish; endue us with patience and 
strength for what thou wouldst have us undergo; so that 
both by doing and enduring we may come to a better knowl- 
edge of thy blessed will, and our minds — uplifted and puri- 
fied — may be conformed to thine, — our image moulded to 
thine image, — until our likeness shall be complete, and we 
be made meet to dwell in thy presence above, and to feel at 
home in the midst of heavenly glories. 

While therefore we are in this lower world let us 
not be of it; — neither merged in the drift of its fortunes 
nor sharing in the temper of its endeavors. 



25 

Though entangled in its temptations, let us find a way 
of escape, following in the footsteps of Jesus. 

Encumbered with its cares, let us receive from thee a 
divine and inward peace, that they vex us not. 

Excited by its hopes and promises, may we remember 
that its triumphs are transient, and that its riches take to 
themselves wings and fly away. 

In contrast to the greed and madness of those who have 
no hope beyond this present life, teach us even to cast our 
bread upon the waters, and to give the soft answer that 
turneth away wrath. 

By words fitly spoken, by the helping hand, by meek- 
ness, patience and temperance, let us walk as children of 
the heavenly Father, reflecting abroad somewhat of the 
sweet light shed upon us from on high, that others may 
learn of us, and become obedient unto thee. 

These things, Lord, and whatever else thou shalt 
see necessary or profitable for us. or for those we love, or for 
any of thy creatures, or for the honor of thy great name, 
we humbly beg through the merits and mediation of Jesus 
Christ our Saviour: 

Amen. 



5* 



XXVI. 

How shall we present ourselves. 

— We believe that thou art. 
And so we would rejoice. 

— For those who are afraid — or astray. 
[For Morning and Evening.] 

T TOW shall we present ourselves before thee, Lord, 
-■ — *- and how shall we make known our requests ? How 
shall we, who are of the dust, find favor in thy sight, and 
obtain the things we desire ? In the light of thy holiness 
we see ourselves corrupt. Before the splendor of thy 
majesty we realize that we are gross and unworthy, and 
wonder that we are bidden to thy presence. Yet we believe 
that thou dost call us, and listen for our coming. We believe 
that thou art, and that thou dost reward those who diligently 
seek thee. We believe that thou canst not be weakened or 
injured by contact with, sinners like us, but that we may be 
purged of our iniquity and refined of our dross by the 
living effulgence of thy righteousness. We believe that thy 
purposes for us are of life and health and blessing : [and 
that the toils and sorrows we endure are the wisely chosen 
means thou dost employ, to rid us of the evil that is within 
us, and open our hearts and minds for the reception of thy 
saving grace.] 

And so we would rejoice in all thy kindly deal- 
ings; — thy constant sustenance, thy watchful care, and 
the pleasant gifts and experiences thou dost often grant: 
[and, not less, the bitter cup or the chastening rod, for with- 
out these the rest, might be in vain.] 

We would rejoice especially that thou dost bid us 
often to commune with thee ; — to look up, as it were, into 
thy face, to see thy smile, and hear thy voice in counsel, or 
in rebuke, or in approval ; to express our gratitude, confess 
our faults, and offer our petitions: [sometimes to draw near 
without words, confiding to the bosom of thy faithful love 



26 

the secret hopes or fears or aspirations which we cannot 
speak.] 

We come as we are, Lord ? and pray thee to make us 
what we ought to be. 

+ 

We pray, Lord, for those who are afraid to draw 
near to thee, or whose aims and purposes in life lead them 
astray. How many are absorbed in short-sighted selfish- 
ness, — pandering to their own greeds, and shutting their 
eyes to duty and the future. How many pursue with eager- 
ness the erratic conceits of their own hearts, giving no 
thought to the wisdom that is from above. How many 
hasten together for wanton sport, undue excitement, or 
mercenary spoils, regardless of the higher interests they 
may lose, or the injury they may do to others. [And are 
there not some, alas, even in the ranks of the orderly and 
upright, who yield at times to the cunning devices of the 
deceiver of souls and follow him to do evil ? Forgive 
them, of thy mercy; and forgive us for doing the same.] 

Alas that any of thy children should be ignorant 
of thee, — should misunderstand thy goodness, or escape 
from^thy salvation. Hasten the glad time when all shall 
know thee, love thee, and be blest. 

[For Morning.] Thy benediction, Lord, rest upon 
us, as we now turn to other duties, and as we pass to and 
fro, this day. 

[For Evening.] We beg thy kind protection, Lord, 
this night. Keep us in safety, — give us rest, and peace, and 
refreshment. 

And when this present life is ended, and thou 
dost take us from the world, we pray thee bring us to a 
home in heaven ; for Jesus' sake: 

Amen. 



XXVII. 

O God, our refuge and strength. 

— Great Captain of our salvation. 

— Help every man in his place — philosophers — hunters — 
those giving instruction — called to preserve peace — in 
crowded marts. 

— Prepare us for a future life of joy. 

f~\ GOD, our Refuge and Strength, by whose care we 
^-^ have been preserved, and to whose presence we gladly 
return, be pleased to accept our gratitude and listen to our 
homage ; granting us according to thy love and wisdom and 
our real need, whether according to our choice or not. For 
it may be that what we most need we feel the least — par- 
don for our sins; and perhaps the ease and pleasure we 
desire would unfit us for the destiny thou hast in store for 
us. For Jesus' sake deliver us from our errors, and bend 
our wills to harmony with thine. 

Thou who art the great Captain of our salvation, 
and dost clothe thy willing followers in the armor of light, 
enable us to stand firm in our allegiance, — to fight the 
good fight of faith, — to defend thy little ones, — to rescue 
them that are ready to perish; and, by thy all-prevailing 
might, to vanquish the powers of darkness and prepare the 
way for thy righteous and beneficient reign. 

God, heavenly King, who appointest unto every 
man his lot, and to whom he must give account at last, we 
pray thee to help every man in his place and give him grace 
according to his need. 

Let it be the wisdom of philosophers, scientists, and 
explorers, to publish, not the greatness of their discoveries, 
but the greatness of thy works which thou hast made known 
unto them. 

Keep all hunters, shepherds, herdsmen, and fishermen; 
and, whatever their adventures or possessions, let them 



27 



know that all creatures of the field and of the sea are thine, 
and that without thee no enterprise can succeed. 

We pray thee for those w^ho devote their time and 
talents in giving instruction, or judicious entertainment; — 
also for that larger and more needy class, who, for profit or 
for greed, busy themselves without conscience, to amuse, 
excite, or corrupt their fellows. 

Give zeal and discretion to those who are called to pre- 
serve peace and order among the people, and arrest 
offenders. Let them stand for righteousness here, and 
abide in righteousness hereafter. 

As for those in over-crowded marts who seek in vain for 
honest work to do, or whose labor fails of fitting recom- 
pense, that they may obtain daily bread, — do thou lead 
them to better opportunities, and let them not lack for the 
bread of heaven. 

+ 

Thou by whose hand we were formed, during 
whose good pleasure we live, and at whose call we must die, 
we humbly beg that while this day of probation continues 
thou wilt graciously prepare us for a future life of joy. So 
win our affections that the true home of our hearts shall be 
in thy presence. So guide our course that the mysterious 
gate by which we leave this present world, shall prove, when 
opened, the very gate of paradise, and shall give us abundant 
entrance to the freedom, rest, and safety of that happy land. 

All for the love and atonement of the Lord Jesus 
Christ, our only Saviour and Redeemer: 

A MEN. 



XXVIII. 

Have mercy upon us, O Lord. 

We have sinned — yet Thou hast not been wroth. 

— For favor to our native country. 

O Thou who didst leave the glory. 

We trust thee, O Lord, that while. 

TT AYE mercy upon us, Lord, for we are weak. 
Lord, hide not thy face, but regard with pity our 
low estate, and grant us a token of peace. Unto thee, 
God, according to thy solemn mandate, our knees do bow 
and our tongues confess. Alas, we have trespassed and 
lived foolishly. 

[We have sinned against light in doing that which our 
own eyes saw to be evil; we have sinned against law in 
transgressing the commandments of thy word; and we have 
sinned against grace in refusing so often and so long to 
hear the still small voice of thy Spirit, in warning, reproof, 
or calling to repentance and good works.] 

Yet, Lord, thou hast not been wroth with us, nor re- 
warded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven 
is high above the earth, so great is thy mercy toward them 
that fear thee. As far as the east is from the west, so far 
thou removest our transgressions from us. 

And we look not only for pardon through the Saviour's 
blood, but also for edification in righteousness. Oh that our 
hearts might sincerely incline to thy counsels. Oh that we 
might constantly follow the path of the just, which shineth 
more and more unto the perfect day. 

We thank thee, heavenly Father, for the favor 
thou hast shown to this our native country. We rejoice in 
its broad domain, its fertile lands and abundant waters; in 
its material growth and prosperity, and in the intelligence 
and vigor of its people. We thank thee more especially for 
the religious faith of many of its founders and statesmen, — 
for the freedom of its institutions, and for the rank it holds 



28 



in the earth as an enlightened Christian nation. We pray 
that the piety which has penetrated so far may pervade the 
whole; — that all the inhabitants may be converted unto 
thee, and wickedness and misrule be done away. 

+ 

Thou who didst leave the glory thou hadst with 
the Father before the world was, and come down to redeem 
to thyself a Church which should live to thy praise and 
share thy heavenly inheritance, we pray thee to minister thy 
especial blessing to every member of the same. Sustain 
any who are in poverty; comfort those in affliction. Restore 
the erring; confirm the faithful. Let all their words and 
conduct be harmonized by thy precious love. 

We trust thee. Lord, that while our lives are 
spared, thy grace will be sufficient for us and thy gifts 
adjusted to our need. And when the toils and triumphs of 
this world are ended, when its cravings and its hatreds are 
over-past, its pretense and glitter faded away, then let us 
find a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 
Bring us, as members of the vast and white robed company 
of the redeemed, to the good things, which, of thy abundant 
mercy, thou hast prepared above. For great and marvelous 
are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy 
ways, thou King of saints. Blessing and honor and glory 
and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and 
unto the Lamb, forever and ever: 

Amen. 



XXIX. 

O Thou who art the high and lofty one. 
Most holy God, who art of purer eyes. 
— Our intercessions — all nations — thy Church — in 
civil authority — neighbors — in trouble 

f~\ THOU who art the high and lofty one that inhabitest 
^-^ eternity, yet who dwellest with the contrite and lowly 
in heart, be near unto us, we implore thee. 

Thou that resistest the proud but givest grace unto 
the humble, listen to our prayer. Let the King hear us 
when we call. 

Most holy God, who art of purer eyes than to 
behold iniquity, but who hast promised to receive us if we 
forsake our sins, we come before thee with a sense of great 
unworthiness, acknowledging our manifold transgressions. 
We beg that thou wouldst work in us a hearty contrition, 
and rid us from sin and the love of it, that we may be a 
household to thy praise. 

And lest, through our own inclinations, or the tempta- 
tions which encompass us, we be drawn again into the toils 
of the enemy, vouchsafe us, we beseech thee, the direction 
and assistance of thy Holy Spirit. Reform whatever is 
amiss in the temper and disposition of our souls, that no 
unclean thoughts, unlawful designs, or inordinate desires 
may fester there. Purge our hearts from envy, hatred, and 
malice. Make us to abide in peace and charity, with a, 
conscience void of offense toward thee and toward men, 
that so we may be found pure and blameless at the coming 
of our Lord. 

+ 

And accept, gracious Father, our intercessions 
for those about us, and for them who dwell afar off. 

Let the light of the gospel shine upon all nations, and 
may as many as receive it live as becomes it. 

Be favorable unto thy Church, and grant that every 



29 

member thereof, in his vocation or ministry, may serve thee 
faithfully. 

Bless all in the civil authority, and so order their hearts 
and strengthen their hands that they shall pursue just 
methods, maintain the laws faithfully, and punish evil-doers, 
— ruling as they that shall give an account unto thee. 

Send down thy blessings, temporal and spiritual, upon 
our relations, friends, and neighbors. Reward all those who 
have done us good, and pardon those who have done or 
wished us evil, if such there be, and give them repentance 
and better minds. 

Be merciful to any who are in trouble, and do thou, 
the God of pity, administer to them according to their 
several necessities: 

All which we ask for the sake of him who went about 
doing good ; — thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ : 

Amen. 



XXX. 

Hearken unto the voice of our cry. 
Pardon, O Lord, all those. 

— Remember in mercy this family. 

— This city in which we dwell. 

— In every land may thy kingdom advance — heathen. 

T f'EARKEN unto the voice of our cry, God, our King, 
-* — L for unto thfce do we lift up our prayer. Lead us, 
Lord, in the way of thy righteousness; make it straight be- 
fore our eyes. 

Thou, Lord, art a shield for us; thou only makest 
us to dwell in safety. Therefore do we lie down in peace 
and sleep. We rest, and rise again, for thou thinkest upon 
us. Thou deliverest from the pestilence that walketh in 
darkness and from the arrow that flieth by day. Blessed 
are all they that put their trust in thee. 

Pardon, Lord, all those, of whatever name or 
degree, who, acknowledging their fallen and corrupt estate, 
and looking for salvation to none but thyself, do penitently 
and heartily turn unto thy way, and take upon themselves 
to serve thee and keep thy commandments. And likewise, 
of thy clemency, absolve us, who are here present, from all 
our offences, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Mediator. 

We beg, heavenly Father, that thou wilt remem- 
ber in mercy this family and household, and every member 
thereof. Let a generous and Christian regard bind us cord- 
ially together. Aid us, both in the fulfillment of our secular 
duties and in seeking the means of grace. Enlighten us as 
we study thy word; dispose us to keep thy sabbaths. Make 
us faithful over the few things committed to us here, that 
we may enjoy many things of thee hereafter. 



W^e pray thee also to look down graciously upon 
[this city] this village — this place — in which we dwell. Let 



30 



not folly and transgression increase therein. Provide a liveli- 
hood for the destitute and give diligence instead of idleness. 
Be pleased to heal the sick, and to lift up those who are 
trodden down. Prosper thy ministers and all good souls in 
their benevolent works, and may temperance, truth, and 
justice be in favor with all the people. 

Yea, and in every land may thy kingdom advance. 
Add to thy Church daily of such as shall be saved. Let 
not those choose amiss who are halting between two opin- 
ions. Let not thy mercy abandon even the Jews, nor infi- 
dels, nor those who are righteous in their own eyes, refusing 
a saviour. 

Oh for thy grace upon the benighted heathen. 
Alas that multitudes of the children of men are still beyond 
the reach of the light and truth which have been revealed 
from above. Let thy good Spirit cease not to brood upon 
them, — moving them to pursue such course of life as by 
nature they know to be the more worthy, and so inclining 
their minds that they shall give a ready welcome, in thy 
appointed time, to the missionaries of the cross, and thus 
find heaven at last. 

We ask and offer all in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

Amen. 



XXXI 

God, who rulest on high. 

— We likewise pray for those about us. 
Show us thy way, Lord. 

— Cherish infants — keep them through childhood — 

when selecting pursuits — burden of the day — when 
age comes on. 
And when the trumpet. 

/^\ GOD, who rulest on high and doest thy pleasure upon 
^-^ earth, we thank thee that our lives are still spared and 
that no great calamity or loss has befallen us. We render 
thanks for the temporal benefits we receive at thy hands, and 
for the sabbath of sacred rest, the light of thy holy word, and 
all the appointed means whereby thou dost minister grace 
to the soul. We beg, Benefactor, that thy munificence 
may not make us insensible to our ill-desert, or fill us with 
pride, as though by our own might or worthiness we had 
obtained these things. But grant us a lowly, penitent, and 
obedient heart, and forgiveness of sins, through the merits 
of our blessed Redeemer. 

As for ourselves, we likewise pray for those about 
us with whom thou hast cast our lot, and for all we love, 
wherever they abide and wherever they journey. Be thou 
the joy of their homes, the guide of their fortunes, and their 
portion forever. 

+ 

Show us thy way, Lord; teach us thy paths. 
Remember, Lord, thy tender mercy, and lead us in thy 
truth. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto 
such as keep his covenant and remember his commandments 
to do them. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to 
everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness 
unto children's children. 

Thou who hast brought us into the world and 
dost lead us through it, — Thou the Father of our souls and 



31 

the Arbiter of our destiny, we beseech thee to cherish with 
tender care the frail and helpless infants, who, without their 
volition or consent, are ushered into the midst of the hazards 
of this present existence. Make them to inherit the better 
portion of their parents' nature, and by thy divine ministra- 
tions predispose their minds to choose the right way. Keep 
them through the temptations of childhood, and bring them 
early into thy visible Church. 

Thy skillful guardianship attend thy children during the 
progress of their education, and when selecting life-long pur- 
suits; also in the time of forming friendships and plighting 
vows. [As for those entering nuptial bonds, let them ver- 
ily become partners in heart and life; — let them walk to- 
gether and be agreed.] 

Be thou the stay of those who bear the heat and burden 
of the day, — the perplexities of duty, — the pangs of sorrow 
and loss, or the anxieties of success. 

And when age comes on, enable them to look back with 
satisfaction upon labors conscientiously performed, — on 
difficulties overcome, — a warfare accomplished, — Christ's 
kingdom advanced : and may they be ready at thy call to 
lie down in that sweet and blessed sleep, whose waking is to 
perfect health, new powers, and everlasting joy. 

[And when the trumpet of the archangel shall 
sound, and time shall be no more, — when the heavens that 
now are shall roll together as a scroll, - — when the graves 
shall open, and the sea give up the dead that are therein, — 
then, our Refuge and Deliverer, we beseech thee gather 
us with those to whom it shall be said, " Come, ye blessed 
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from 
the foundation of the world."] 

And to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory 
and majesty, dominion and power, unto eternal days: 

Am ex. 

6* 



XXXII. 

O Lord, our heavenly Father. 
For all the favors of the past. 
And when the new heavens. 
O Lamb of God. 

/"^v LORD, our heavenly Father, we pray that while we 
^^ kneel before thee as a duty we may find it a privi- 
lege: — that while we humble ourselves in thy presence thou 
wilt lift us up and cause us to rejoice. We acknowledge 
our weakness of heart and unworthiness of life, but do most 
fully believe that thy resources — both of worth and power — 
are inexhaustible, and that thy compassions fail not. It is 
thy prerogative, God, to heal, to bless, and to forgive. 
So minister unto us, we implore thee, for the sake of thy 
dear Son, our Redeemer. 

For all the favors of the past, — for deliverance 
from dangers unseen, for willing answers when we have 
called for aid, and for gifts and graces showered upon us, 
unasked, we render heartfelt thanks. And in the days to 
come, as we enjoy thy benefits, let us not be recipients 
merely, but teach us to dispense to the needs of others, 
either in things spiritual or physical, that we may prove the 
wisdom of the Lord Jesus when he said, " It is more blessed 
to give than to receive ; " and that, on a final reckoning, we 
may hear him say, " Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the 
least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me." 

+ 

And when the new heavens and the new earth 
shall appear, grant, merciful King, that we may have part 
with those who are called to thy right hand. 

Oh that we may do thy commandments, that our names 
may be written in the Lamb's book of life, and that we may 
have right to the tree of life, and may enter in, through the 
gates, to the celestial city. 



32 

How happy is the place where there is no more curse, 
where there shall be no night, and where there shall in no 
wise enter in anything that defileth or maketh a lie. But 
they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it, — 
even them that are redeemed out of every tribe and kindred 
and people. 

Oh for the sight of the glorious company of the apos- 
tles, the goodly fellowship of the prophets, and the noble 
army of martyrs, — of whom the world was not worthy. 
There safely abide the innocent children who never knew 
sin, — sanctified youth in perennial bloom, — all true-hearted 
men and women in their prime, — and they of venerable 
years in righteousness: also they who came out of great 
tribulation and have washed their robes and made them 
white in the blood of the Lamb. 

Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the 
world, we, who confess thee before men, humbly plead thy 
promise that thou wilt confess us before thy Father and all 
the holy angels. Present us without blemish, we beseech 
thee, before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy. 

And let thy peace, which passeth understanding, 
keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of 
God, evermore. And may the blessing of God Almighty, 
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst us 
and remain with us, always: 

Amen. 



XXXIII. 

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us. 

O Son of God, who bringest. 

— Mercy upon those who know not. 

O Spirit of truth — good Shepherd shall appear. 

f\ LORD, show thy mercy upon us and grant us thy sal- 
^-^ vation. 

God, make clean our hearts within us, and take not 
away thy Holy Spirit. 

God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels 
and all just works proceed, give unto thy servants that peace 
which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to 
obey thy commandments, and that, being delivered from all 
that would ensnare us, we may serve thee, day by day, with- 
out break or hindrance, to the honor of thy holy name. 

Son of God, who bringest good tidings to the 
meek, — who despisest not the sighing of a burdened heart 
nor the desire of such as are needy, be favorable unto our 
prayers which we offer before thee, and graciously hear us, — 
[that the evils we deplore may by thy good providence be 
brought to naught,] that the afflictions we suffer may by thy 
good Spirit be sanctified to our ultimate goody and that we, 
thy servants, being hurt by nothing, may ever more give 
thee our thanks and adoration. 

Lord, in thee alone have we comfort and safety. 

[ Lord, arise, help us, for thy name's sake. 

With pity behold the sorrows of our hearts. 

Man of sorrows, comfort us in our grief.] 

Lord, let thy mercy be upon us, as our trust is in thee. 

+ 

Thou that makest the sun to shine upon the evil 
and the good, and sendest rain upon the just and the unjust, — 
thou that rewardest them that do well, and redeem est them 
that are enslaved under sin, have mercy, we beseech thee, 



33 



upon those who know not thy ways; who live in selfishness, 
greed, and vice, — hating and being hated, — without hope 
and without God in the world. Thou that savest unto 
the uttermost, save even them, and let them not die under a 
curse. Let not Satan triumph, nor the precious blood of the 
atonement be shed in vain. 

Spirit of truth and grace, who art ever present 
with the Church, we beseech thee to speed thy holy work in 
every member of the same. Save them from ignorance, 
error, pride, and worldliness; and vouchsafe so to direct 
and govern them that the comforting gospel of Christ may 
be truly set forth, truly received, and truly followed, in all 
places; until at length the good Shepherd shall gloriously 
appear, and the whole of his dispersed sheep, being gathered 
into one fold, shall become partakers of the joys which he 
has prepared for all them that love him and wait in patience 
for his coming. 

With them, gentle Shepherd, let us be found ; 
and bring us and all dear to us into thy heavenly rest, to go 
no more out forever; which we humbly beg for thine own 
name's sake: 

Amen. 



XXXIV. 

How blessed, O Lord, is the estate. 
How vast are thy works. 

— Shining multitudes not being enough. 
[For Morning and Evening.] 

— All who are dear to us. 

TTOW blessed, Lord, is the estate of those who can 
enter thy presence without fear. How blessed are 
they whom thy holiness does not appall nor thy greatness 
terrify. To those who realize thy favor how sweet it is to 
give thee thanks, to pray, and praise thy name. Oh that 
our hearts might be so attuned that these, our duties, might 
be our delight. Oh that we might throw off our vain anxie- 
ties, and rise from the groveling and unworthy things 
of the world to find refreshment and riches in thee. 
For thou, Lord, art a fountain of life and joy, — a peren- 
nial source of abundant good. 

How vast are thy works, God, — how noble thy 
designs: the bright and pleasant sun, the stars — a glittering 
and countless array, this earth — a paradise at its creation, 
and heaven, that sacred and blest abode, of beauty, splen- 
dor, and happiness ! These all, receiving of thy glory, glo- 
rify thee in return. 

More wondrous still, the hosts of angels, rank on rank, 
radiant in loveliness, tireless in flight, in song almost divine ! 
How eagerly they do thy will: how perfect is their service ! 

And yet, Lord, these shining multitudes not being 
enough for thy love, thou didst purpose to bring even us, the 
children of men, to dwell among them, to learn their liturgy 
and share their honors. And when we were in guilt and 
misery thou didst not rest till thou hadst made a way of 
escape, — till thou hadst redeemed us to thyself by the 
blood of thine only Son, and given us his holy gospel to 
cleanse and lift us up. Oh precious gift! Oh grace most 
wonderful! Oh the height and depth and breadth of thy 



34 



love, which as a boundless sea envelops us on every side ! 
Let us repose in it, and yield ourselves to thy good pleasure. 

+ 

[For Morning.] We trust thee, heavenly Father, to 
keep us in safety to-day. Lead us in the paths of right- 
eousness, for thy name's sake. Of thy bounty prepare our 
table before us, and let our cup of rejoicing be full. 

[For Evening.] We trust thee, heavenly Father, to 
keep us in safety this night. Thine arm be around us as 
we sleep. Thine eye be upon us when we w T ake and go 
forth on our appointed way. For food and raiment, for 
shelter and home, for comfort and success, our hope is only 
in thee. 

And all who are dear to us we commit to thy gen- 
erous care. Let their lives and their health be precious in 
thy sight; — give them thy continual blessing, both in body 
and soul. 

Let thy salvation have free course, encompassing 
the world. Let all the souls of thy creation become the 
children of thy grace, and unite, in earth and heaven, in 
psalms of glad thanksgiving. Dominion to the King of 
kings. Wisdom and might to the Lord of lords. Praise 
and worship to the Lord God omnipotent, who liveth and 
reigneth forever. 

Alleluia: Amen. 



XXXV. 

Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. 

— Thanks for all thy favor. 

— Children shall be taught of the Lord. 

— Called to any office in thy Church. 

O ALVATION belongeth unto the Lord; — thy blessing is 
^ upon thy people. 

Let all those that trust in thee rejoice; — with favor 
shall thou compass them, as with a shield. 

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of thy 
great mercy hast promised forgiveness of sins to all those 
who with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto thee, 
have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our 
sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and finally 
bring us to everlasting life. 

God, Father of all mercies, we give thee most 
humble thanks for all thy favor and loving kindness to us, 
and to those dear to us. We bless thee for our creation, 
preservation, and all the good things of this life, but above 
all for thy inestimable love in our redemption by the Lord 
Jesus Christ, for the means of grace and for the hope of 
glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all 
thy mercies that our hearts may be unfeignedly grateful, 
and that we may show forth thy praise not only with our 
lips but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to thy service, 
and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness, 
all our days. 

thou who art a faithful Creator, and hast prom- 
ised thy obedient people that all their children shall be 
taught of the Lord, we pray thee to verify and enlarge thy 
gracious word toward the young of the present time. Pro- 
vide for them a skillful and affectionate nurture: let them 
learn to refuse the evil and choose the good, and especially 
to hold thee, Father, in filial and worshipful regard, both 
now and ever. 



35 

Oh that the follies of the fro ward might die with them, 
and none be found to follow in their steps. 

Oh that the growing generation might set its face heaven- 
ward, bearing the banner of the cross. 

Lord of life and glory, give thy grace, we be- 
seech thee, to all those who are called to any post or office 
in thy holy Church, and so replenish them with wisdom of 
mind and lead them in innocency of life, that their labors 
may redound to the conversion of sinners, to the benefit of 
believers, and to the glory of thy great name. 

Let Satan be put in chains, and thy redeemed go 
free; — and we will join with angels and archangels, cheru- 
bim and seraphim, and all the heavenly host, in singing 
praise to thine adorable majesty, for evermore: 

Amen. 



XXXVI. 

O Lord, our heavenly Father. 

On thee alone, O Fountain of grace. 

Litany : — O Thou who art the great Physician. 

f~\ LORD our heavenly Father, we come before thee at 
^-^ thy bidding and humbly bow ourselves at thy feet, 
desiring to obey thy voice in coming, and to receive thy 
blessing while we wait in thy presence. Though unworthy 
of thy care we feel that thou carest for us. Though our 
praises are inadequate to thy dignity and grandeur, we be- 
lieve that thou dost willingly receive them. Let us therefore 
find favor in thy sight, and be made meet to abide in the 
company of thy saints. 

On thee alone, Fountain of grace, do we depend, 
both to prompt our holy desires and to satisfy the same; to 
make us aware of the needs of our souls, and of thy fullness 
to minister thereto. Since thou hast redeemed us from sin, 
be pleased to free us from it in very deed. Since thou hast 
made it possible that we should attain unto righteousness, 
encourage us to choose and diligently to strive for that good 
part which shall never be taken away. 

[ We pray thee to comfort us in time of disappointment 
or grief. 

We pray thee to lift us up in time of dejection, or the 
failure of our hopes. 

If any are in anxiety or fear regarding things spiritual 
and unseen, we pray thee to stand by such, as a friend. 

If any are in pain or distress for other cause, whether 
in body or mind, let them tell it all to thee, and find relief 
and peace.] 

O Thou who art the great Physician, and whose 
power extends to all the ills to which mortal men are sub- 
ject, we implore thy compassion upon those who are in 
affliction. 



36 



If it please thee, restore the sick to health. 

If it please thee, devise some means of consolation for 
those who have suffered irreparable loss. 

If it please thee, bring forth the captive out of the dun- 
geon, and let the oppressed go free. 

If it please thee, make the lame to walk, open the eyes 
of the blind, unstop the deaf ears, and cause the dumb to 
sing. 

• Whosoever is possessed by evil spirits or dominated by 
evil passions; — whosoever is deceived, lunatic, inebriate, or 
otherwise bent on ruin; — them do thou deliver, for thou 
'only art able to do this. 

Let those who are ravaged by war, pestilence, or fam- 
ine, make their cry unto thee and be saved. 

Let all nations seek thy face and share thy benefactions. 

And before the great white throne the incense of 
deepest gratitude shall rise evermore: 

Amen. 



XXXVII. 

The Lord is a king forever. 

— Deign to direct our doings. 

Grant that by our penitence. 

Almighty God, who hast built thy Church. 

rpHE LORD is a king forever; the Lord giveth grace and 
-*- glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that 
walk uprightly. 

How excellent is thy loving kindness, God: therefore 
do the children of men hope in thee. They shall be satis- 
fied with the abundance of thy house, and thou shalt make 
them drink of the river of thy pleasures. 

Oh continue unto us thy goodness, day by day, for we 
hearken unto thy testimonies. 

We pray, Lord, that thou wilt deign to direct 
our doings with favor, and further us with thy continual 
help, that all our works may begin, continue, and end in 
thy grace. Give us wisdom in the business of our hands, that 
our careful enterprise may come to glad prosperity. Let 
us not lack for food and raiment, nor for a home. Make us 
zealous in every good word and work, and .benevolent tow- 
ard all men, according to our abilities and opportunities. 
Grant us patience under any afflictions or disappointments 
thou shalt see fit to lay upon us, and minds disposed to 
meekness and contentment. Make us upright in our deal- 
ings, reverent to due authority, and compassionate toward 
the weak, — finding favor with all with whom we have to do. 

Grant that by our penitence for sins committed, 
and the atonement of the Lord Jesus, we may escape the 
wrath to come, which thou hast reserved for them that 
choose Satan and his works. 



37 

Almighty God, who hast built thy Church on the 
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ him- ' 
self being the chief corner stone, grant that, by the opera- 
tion of the Holy Ghost, all Christians may be so joined 
together in unity of spirit and in the bond of peace that 
they may be an holy temple, acceptable to thee. And espec- 
ially to us present give the abundance of thy grace, that 
with one heart we may desire the prosperity of thy cause, 
and with one mouth may profess the faith once delivered to 
the saints. Defend us from the crafts and assaults of the 
great adversary; let not the foot of subtlety come nigh to 
rob us, nor the hand of the ungodly to cast us down. And 
grant that the course of the world may be so ordered by 
thy governance that we may joyfully serve thee in all free- 
dom and quietness, abiding in the way of truth and peace; 
that so, at last, we may be established in the new Jerusalem. 

And wherever, upon the face of the earth, the 
children of men are scattered, there let thy compassion find 
them, and thy right hand save them: which we ask for the 
sake of thine only Son, our Advocate and Mediator: 

Amen. 



7* 



XXXVIII. 

O Lord God of our fathers. 
Having been instructed. 
We pray thee to subdue within us. 
Litany: — O Thou who hast overcome. 

f~\ LORD GOD of our fathers, who dost promise mercy 
^-^ unto them that love thee and keep thy command- 
ments, — Thou whose blessing maketh rich, and whose ser- 
vice is perfect freedom, grant us audience, we beseech, thee, 
at this time, and graciously accept our homage. 

Having been instructed from our youth in thy holy 
word, and having read it for ourselves, we are purposed in 
our hearts to hold it fast. Having been brought up in the 
nurture and admonition of the Lord we would continue and 
increase therein. We thank thee for the pious care thou 
didst provide for us, and the godly examples manifested in 
our sight. These let us emulate, to the honor of those who 
came before us, and for the help of- them that are to follow. 
Oh that we may be a righteous seed, — a generation that 
seeks thy face; whose good deeds give light in the world, 
and whose course tends upward, unto heaven. 

Yet, our Father, although we are so highly 
favored, we mourn that our estate is still so low. How 
poorly the record of our achievements compares with the 
abundance of our privileges. How manifold our faults and 
short-comings, — how weak our virtues are. 

We pray thee to subdue within us the passions of evil, 
— all greed and pride and anger, idolatry of self, and all 
deceitf ulness. G-od forgive us for indulgence of them, and 
forbid that they should prevail against us or lead us astray. 

We pray thee to nourish and strengthen our souls in 
whatsoever things are honest, lovely, and of good report, 
for our Redeemer's sake. Let the chief aim and desire of 
our lives be nothing less than to love the Lord oar God with 
all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind 



38 

and with all our strength, and to love our fellow men as 
ourselves — doing unto others as we would that they should 
do unto us — that thus we may fulfill all righteousness. 

+ 

Thou who hast overcome the power of sin and 
death, and hast redeemed the world unto thyself, — Thou 
whose right it is to reign, why wait we longer for thine ap- 
pearing? Wilt thou not now descend, and hold forth the 
scepter of thy sway before all men's eyes ? 

Let not the nations learn war any more. 

Let not kings and potentates oppress the weak. 

Let the evil-minded forsake his mischief, and the miser 
unlock his hoard. 

Turn the crafty man to honest labor, and the beggar to 
usefulness. 

Teach the lion to dwell with the lamb, the leopard to 
lie down with the kid, the cow and the bear to feed quietly 
together, and a little child to lead them. 

Let them not hurt nor destroy in all thy holy mountain, 
but every creature yield obedience to the heavenly law of 
love. 

And to God, only wise, the Father, the Son, and 
the Holy Ghost be praise forever: 

Amen. 



XXXIX. 

Give ear, O Lord, to the voice, 
— We confess that we have sinned. 
Enable us somewhat to realize. 
While therefore we have opportunity. 
Like blessings — for our friends. 

f~^\ IVE ear, Lord, to the voice of our supplication, and 
^-^ deign to regard our humble cry. 

God, who can become pure and holy like unto thee? 
Or who can equal thee in grace and favor to those of ill- 
desert? 

God, who knowest all things, and from whom no 
secrets are hid, we confess that we have sinned in thought, 
word, and deed. [We have sinned against thee, our Creator 
and King, by neglecting the worship and allegiance which 
are thy due, and holding ourselves in estrangement. We 
have sinned against our fellow creatures by greater or less 
injustice and unkindness to them; — by hindering them in 
that which is good, or helping them in evil. And we have 
sinned against our own selves by indifference to our highest 
welfare, and by willfully pursuing perilous and forbidden 
paths.] 

Yet, Lord, rebuke us not in thy wrath, neither 
chasten us in sore displeasure. Let thy goodness lead us to 
repentance, and thy wise instruction persuade us, more and 
more, to set our affections on heavenly things. 

Enable us somewhat to realize how much better 
those possessions are that endure eternally, than these, which 
perish with the using. 

How much richer is he that lays up treasures above, 
where moth and rust do not corrupt, and where thieves do 
not break through and steal, than he who risks all in the 
chances of this earthly life. 

How much nobler the aim, for our zeal and patience, to 
reach even an humble station, in the armies or the choirs or 



39 

courts of thine upper kingdom, than to win the transient 
applause of men. 

While therefore we have opportunity to choose 
our present course and thereby secure our future happiness, 
bestow upon us, loving Father, we beseech thee, the abund- 
ance of thy grace, that we may so link our mortal frailty 
to thine omnipotence, and so join our hopes to thine immut- 
able decrees, that we shall survive all changes, outride all 
failures, and resist all griefs, — and overcome the world 
with the victory that belongs only to thy saints. 

Like blessings, Lord, we humbly beg for our 
friends and kindred, and all for whom we should pray. By 
repentance and faith let them obtain that godliness which is 
profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that 
now is and of that which is to come. 

And unto Him that loved us and gave himself a 
ransom for us, and now reigneth on high, and to the 
Almighty Father and the Blessed Spirit be endless praise: 

Amen. 



XL. 

O Lord our God, in thee. 

O Father of love, whose eye. 

O Son of God, our Redeemer. 

O Blessed and Eternal Spirit. 

— Thy condescension in revealing thyself. 

— Let us cherish this word of life. 

/^\ LORD our God, in thee we do put our trust. We 
^-^ will be glad and exult in thee; for thou hast not for- 
saken them that seek thee, — thou forgettest not the cry of 
the humble. The Lord also will be a refuge for the 
oppressed, — a refuge in time of trouble. Surely thou wilt 
not neglect the needy, nor suffer the expectation of the poor 
to perish. Let all those that love thy* name be joyful in 
thee, — let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest 
them. 

Father of love, whose eye is upon thy children 
for good, and whose right arm is their strength and shield, 
we extol thy holy name, we look for success and happiness 
only in thy favor, and beg, as the sum of all our prayers, 
that thou wilt deign to acknowledge and account us thine 
own. 

Son of God, our Redeemer, Saviour, Mediator, 
Prophet, Priest, and King, — our hope, our health, our 
treasure, and our crown, we hail thy gracious presence 
with us, and offer our devotion. Rule thou over us and 
make us ever loyal to thy sway: intercede for us with the 
Almighty Father: and when thou comest in thy glory, with 
all the holy angels, and sittest upon thy throne of judgment, 
we plead for thy mercy's sake, that thou wilt place us among 
the company at thy right hand. 

Blessed and Eternal Spirit, proceeding from the 
Father and the Son, — who together with them art worshipped 
and glorified, visit us, we pray thee, with thy sanctifying 
power. Enlighten our minds more and more with the light 



40 



of the holy gospel; graft in our hearts a love of the truth; 
increase in us pure religion: nourish us with all goodness, 
and keep us in the same while time shall last, — till faith 
shall change to sight and prayer be turned to praise. 

+ 

God, the Sovereign of the universe, at whose 
behest the heavens were made and all the host of them, and 
of whose loving-kindness the earth is full, we adore thy 
condescension in revealing thyself to depraved and grovel- 
ing man. We rejoice that when the parents of our race had 
fallen into an estate of sin and misery thou didst not .leave 
them, and all mankind, to perish without hope, but didst enter 
into a covenant of salvation, tokens of which have been 
manifold. We rejoice that this covenant has come down to 
us, both in sacraments which we may actively observe, and 
in thy inspired word which we may freely read. Let us 
cherish this word of life as precious seed. May our hearts 
be as good ground wherein it shall presently grow. Let 
not the fowls of the air devour it. nor the evil one snatch it 
away. Cause it to take deep root, lest in time of tribulation 
or persecution it wither and die. Let not thorns spring up 
and choke it, nor cumbering cares and pleasures make it 
unfruitful. Let it not return unto thee void, but accom- 
plish that whereto thou hast sent it, — bringing forth 
abundantly to thy glory. 

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make 
his face to shine upon us, and give us peace, both now and 
evermore : 

A MEN. 



